Rawalpindi court issues Bushra Bibi's arrest warrant in £190m case

RAWALPINDI: A special accountability court in Rawalpindi released non-bailable arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, in the £190 million case.

Trial court judge Nasir Javed Rana issued the orders for the former first lady's arrest for her continued absence from the case's proceedings for at least eight hearings. The judge directed police to arrest Bushra and present her before the court on November 26.

The court also issued a show-cause notice to the guarantor of Bushra's bail.

During the hearing, the PTI founder — who is currently incarcerated in Adiala prison — was presented before the court, while a lawyer sought exemption for Bushra from today's proceeding on a medical basis.

However, a NAB official raised the objection that the medical report Bushra's lawyer was showing was issued by Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital, while the notary attestation was done in Islamabad.

Moreover, neither Khan nor Bushra submitted their statement under Section 342 of CrPC, 1898. The couple had been handed over a 79-point questionnaire provided for final statements at the second last hearing of this case.

It may be noted that Bushra was released from Adiala jail on bail last month after remaining behind bars for around nine months in the new Toshakhana case.

The development comes a day after the former first lady issued a rare video message, sparking controversy with her allegations against Saudi Arabia of playing role in the ouster of the Imran Khan-led government in 2022.

She also urged PTI supporters to join much-hyped protest on November 24 in Islamabad.

£190 million case

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against Khan, Bushra, and others last year in December, which is also referred to as Al-Qadir Trust case. 

The couple is facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.

As per the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.

Bushra was nominated as an accused in the case for being a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust.

They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.

During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth £190 million from the property tycoon in Britain.

The UK agency said the assets would be passed to the Government of Pakistan and the settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.

Subsequently, then-prime minister Khan got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the agreement with the property tycoon.