 "Explained: The Al-Qadir Trust case in which Imran Khan has received 14 years in prison")
Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
An accountability court convicted the former Pakistan prime minister in the Al-Qadir trust case.
Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi was also given a seven-year jail term.
The development came after the verdict had already been deferred three times – previously on January 13.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana, announcing the verdict from a makeshift court set up in Adila jail, also announced a Rs 1 million fine for Imran and a half a million rupee fine for Bushra Bibi.
The court further ordered the confiscation of the land of Al-Qadir University.
Khan is already in jail while Bushra was arrested from the court.
“Today’s verdict has tarnished the reputation of the judiciary In this case, neither I benefited nor the government lost. I don’t want any relief and will face all cases,” Khan said. “A dictator is doing all this.”
But what do we know about the case?
Let’s take a closer look:
What do we know about the case?
As per Al Jazeera, Imran and his wife were accused of obtaining land worth billions of rupees from property tycoon Malik Riaz.
It was claimed that Imran and Bushra Bibi, in exchange for the property, made a deal with Riaz that caused the national exchequer to lose Rs 50 billion.
Riaz is one of Pakistan’s richest and most powerful businessmen.
The deal came to light after Riaz in December 2019 made a deal with the UK’s National Crime Agency to give over assets including properties in an investigation related to ‘dirty money.’
The funds were reportedly intended for the national treasury but were allegedly redirected for the personal benefit of Riaz – who helped Bibi and Khan to set up a university.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsInstead of putting it in Pakistan’s treasury, Imran’s government used the money to pay fines levied by a court against Hussain for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.
Riaz was alleged to have given the land in Jhelum and Islamabad to Al-Qadir Trust – a non-governmental welfare organisation set up Bushra and Imran when he was still in office – in exchange for that favour.
While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events.
The couple are the sole trustees, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
Bibi, as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust, is accused of benefiting from this settlement, including acquiring 458 kanals of land for Al-Qadir University in Jhelum.
The trust runs a university outside Islamabad devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings, a project inspired by the former first lady, who is also commonly known as Bushra Bibi and has a reputation as a spiritual healer.
The trust has nearly 60 acres of land worth seven billion Pakistani rupees and another large piece of land in Islamabad close to Khan’s hilltop home.
The 60-acre parcel in Punjab state’s Jhelum district is the official site of the university but very little has been built there.
“The trust received 180 million rupee ($635,144.67) for operational expenses, but records showed only 8.52 million rupees” on the books.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December 2023 filed the case against Khan (72), Bibi (50) and six others.
As per Dawn, the NAB claimed Imran “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”.
‘Politically motivated’
As per Business Standard, Imran and Bibi were indicted in February 2024 – after Pakistan’s general election.
However, only Khan and Bibi have been prosecuted.
Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz were among the suspects in the case. However, they were declared proclaimed offenders after absconding.
Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert for the PTI government’s Assets Recovery Unit, were also declared proclaimed offenders.
Khan’s aides have previously said that the land was donated to the trust for charitable purposes.
Several ex-PTI leaders, including Pervez Khattak and Azam Khan, testified about the deal.
Defence production minister Zubaida Jalal said key ministers were kept in the dark about the recovered crime proceeds.
The verdict in the case was repeatedly delayed over winter vacations and procedural issues. Imran and Bushra Bibi’s absence from court hearings also caused postponements.
As per Dawn, Imran had called the case “politically motivated.”
“My political rivals have weaponised institutions to crush dissent and curb democracy,” he had said.
Imran is facing dozens of cases after his ouster as prime minister in 2022.
He has been jailed since August 2023.
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