RAWALPINDI: A much-awaited and long-delayed verdict in the £190 million case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi will be announced tomorrow (Friday) at 11:30 pm, sources said.
Accountability court Judge Nasir Javed postponed the verdict on January 13 for the third time, announcing that it would be announced on January 17 (Friday).
According to the sources within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the legal team of party founder Imran Khan has been informed to reach the court as the verdict will be delivered at 11: 30 pm.
The verdict, which has been delayed three times, was earlier delayed on Dec 23, 2024, and Jan 6, 2025.
On Monday, the judge expressed anger over the absence of the accused. “I have been sitting in the courtroom for two hours, but none of them from defence have appeared today,” the judge said.
Talking to the reporters, Barrister Gohar asserted that the postponement was attempted to “give the impression that a deal is being made. There is no deal being made.”
The PTI chairman reiterated that this case was made to pressurise Imran Khan. “It is clearly an unjust attitude toward PTI.”
Former prime minister Imran Khan had also previously claimed that the verdict was being delayed again and again to “pressurise him”.
The £190 million case was filed by NAB in December 2023, involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others. The case was registered over the alleged settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which cost £190 million to the national exchequer.
The said case is part of the plethora of legal challenges faced by the incarcerated PTI founder who has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I.