Pakistani court halts hearing in £190m corruption case against Imran Khan citing ‘security concerns’

Pakistan’s Accountability Court on May 15 ruled against Imran Khan for a £190 million corruption case, citing “security concerns” at the high-security Adiala prison where the former prime minister is currently held, according to media reports. The hearing of the case was postponed until May 17th.

The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder has been held in the high-security Adiala prison in Rawalpindi since August last year.

The Islamabad Accountability Court has accepted the Adiala prison warden’s request to postpone the hearing of the case against Khan citing “security concerns”. express tribune The newspaper reported.

The court said it adjourned the hearing until May 17.

In their request, prison officials cited a report received by the Punjab Home Department regarding threat alerts against jails in Punjab by banned organizations.

Adiala prison is the most sensitive prison in the state, housing more than 7,000 inmates, officials claim, and also houses criminals involved in serious crimes, including prominent political groups. said.

According to the request, there were also security threats to Mianwali Prison, Dera Ghazi Khan Prison, Rawalpindi Prison (Adiala Prison) and Attok Prison.

Following the reports, security was stepped up in and around the prison, and security forces conducted mock drills.

The newspaper said the surrounding area was also being searched by security personnel.

Also read: Imran Khan | Cornered Captain

On May 14, the Punjab Home Department banned all inmates in Adiala Jail from seeing their relatives and other people for three days, citing security concerns. dawn The newspaper reported.

Providing goods to prisoners was also prohibited.

In March, the Punjab government banned Mr. Khan from all visits, including visits with his family, lawyer and party leaders, for two weeks at Adiala Jail.

The Al Qadir Trust case concerns a £190 million settlement that was transferred to Pakistan after the UK National Crime Agency recovered the amount from a Pakistani property tycoon.

Instead of depositing it in the national treasury, Khan, who was then prime minister, allowed the businessman to use the amount to settle part of a fine of about 450 billion rupees imposed by the Supreme Court several years ago. did.

In return, the tycoon reportedly gifted about 57 acres of land to a trust set up by Mr. Khan and Mr. Bushra Bibi to establish Al Qadir University in the Sohawa area of ​​Punjab’s Jhelum district. It is said that he did.

In December 2023, the National Audit Bureau (NAB) accused the former cricketer-turned-politician, his wife, and others of acquiring hundreds of kanal lands in the name of Al-Qadir University Trust. An investigation has begun. A loss of £190 million was reported to the Treasury.

Since Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence motion in April 2022, he has been convicted in at least four cases, including the encryption case.