IHC Overturns Trial Court Ruling in £190 Million Corruption Case Against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has overturned a trial court’s decision rejecting the acquittal pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million corruption case.

A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, issued a nine-page verdict, directing the trial court to reexamine the pleas filed by the couple.

The ruling comes in response to petitions filed by the former Prime Minister and his wife, challenging the accountability court’s earlier decision. The IHC’s judgment has rendered the previous verdict null and void, requiring the lower court to decide on the matter afresh.

Previously, Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana had rejected Imran Khan’s plea for acquittal in the £190 million settlement reference. The hearing, conducted at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, included arguments from both sides.

Khan’s legal team argued that the case pertained to Al-Qadir University, which operates as a trust, and maintained that Khan had derived no personal financial benefit from the institution. They also stated that he was not directly involved in its financial transactions.

The case, linked to allegations of misuse of public funds, remains a critical legal challenge for the PTI founder and his spouse as the trial court revisits the matter.