ISLAMABAD: As Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, led a large protest towards D-Chowk in Islamabad, an accountability court continued proceedings in the £190 million corruption case against her and Mr Khan.

On Monday, Account­ability Judge Nasir Javed Rana directed the prosecution to submit a report regarding a non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Bushra Bibi, citing her repeated failure to appear in court.

The warrant remains in effect as the proceedings were adjourned until Thursday (tomorrow) without further action.

The hearing, scheduled at Adiala Jail, was relocated to the judicial complex due to road closures in the federal capital.

Report sought on her arrest warrant over failure to appear in court; ATC extends Imran’s physical remand by six days in Sept 28 protest case

The case pertains to allegat­i­ons of undue favours gran­ted to property tycoon Malik Riaz in a settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency, implicating senior Pakistan Tehre­ek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership.

Imran’s remand extended

Separately, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah extended Imran Khan’s physical remand by six days. The remand was issued in connection with a case accusing Mr Khan of inciting workers to stage violent protests on Sept 28.

The case, registered at New Town Police Station in Rawalpindi, alleges that the former premier urged party members to disrupt public order.

Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah argued that Mr Khan’s refusal to cooperate with investigators has hindered progress. “The accused has declined to record his statement, obstructing the process and necessitating further remand,” the prosecutor stated.

Evidence, including materials linked to the protests and records of jail meetings, has been seized. Auth­orities also await information from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the FIA.

Prosecutor Shah contended that Imran Khan’s extended detention was critical to advancing the investigation.

Mr Khan’s legal representative, Safia, opposed the remand extension, asserting that no significant recovery had been made in the case. She accused the authorities of relying on baseless allegations to prolong Mr Khan’s detention.

The ATC ordered Mr Khan to appear in court on Dec 2 as investigations into the matter continue.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Depopulating Gaza
Updated 07 Feb, 2025

Depopulating Gaza

The least feasible "solution" is the Trumpian plan for Gaza’s ethnic cleansing and occupation, which is a non-starter.
‘Pause’ in US aid
07 Feb, 2025

‘Pause’ in US aid

THE impact of the Trump administration’s decision to ‘pause’ all US foreign aid programmes, especially those...
Mobilising opposition
07 Feb, 2025

Mobilising opposition

POLITICS makes strange bedfellows. There has not, for quite some time, been a guest list as intriguing as the one...
No time left
Updated 06 Feb, 2025

No time left

Climate change concerns continue to remain a footnote as politics dominates national discourse, surfacing only when disaster strikes.
Karim Aga Khan
06 Feb, 2025

Karim Aga Khan

PRINCE Karim Aga Khan was a man who straddled various worlds and cultures. Beyond his role as spiritual leader of ...
Cotton production
06 Feb, 2025

Cotton production

PAKISTAN’S cotton crop is on the ropes. The crop output has been falling since FY15, when the country harvested a...