SAHIWAL: Special Judge of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Asif Bashir said on Tuesday that Rs113.1 million corruption charges would be framed against Khawar Manika, ex-husband of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, and his two sons, Ibrahim Manika and Musa Manika, during the next hearing on Jan 21.

At Tuesday’s hearing, all the accused, including a patwari, manager from the Auqaf Department, and an excise inspector, were present in court, while Khawar Manika and Musa Manika were exempted upon their counsel’s request.

Khawar Manika and his sons were indicted in corruption cases in a reference filed by the Okara deputy commissioner on Aug 23, 2023.

According to the prosecution, Manika allegedly constructed 26 shops and a marriage hall illegally on a four-kanal plot designated for the Pir Islam Graveyard in Haveli Lakha without obtaining map approval.

The prosecution further alleges that Manika collected Rs26 million in rent from the shops but failed to pay any taxes.

The FIR against Manika and others was registered under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant, or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) on the complaint of ASI Iqbal from ACE Okara.

Officials from the revenue, Auqaf, and excise departments are also accused of assisting Mr Manika in “grabbing the land”.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2025