An accountability court in Islamabad has granted bail to Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, in a £190 million corruption case, as reported by Express News.
Despite the bail being granted, she remains in custody due to another conviction.
Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich presided over the hearing at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi face charges in this high-profile corruption case.
The court approved Bushra Bibi’s pre-arrest bail application, offering some relief amid the ongoing legal battles involving the former first lady.
However, prison officials have stated that she cannot be released due to her conviction in the Iddat marriage case.
Earlier on June 29, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenged the post-arrest bail granted to PTI founder Imran Khan in the same £190 million scam case before the Supreme Court.
NAB argued that the Islamabad High Court had assumed the role of a trial court and had not thoroughly examined all the facts. They emphasized that crucial witness statements were not properly recorded by the IHC, unlike a trial court.
In December 2023, NAB filed a corruption reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others in an accountability court in Rawalpindi. Imran and Bushra Bibi were indicted in February of the following year.
The reference alleges collusion between PTI chief Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar, accusing Akbar of producing a misleading document in December 2019. The document allegedly misrepresented an account as belonging to the Supreme Court Registrar but actually pertained to the state of Pakistan.
The case involves allegations that, while prime minister, Imran Khan facilitated the transfer of 458 acres of land in 2019 to Zulfi Bukhari, which was later found to have been improperly handled.
The reference, which lists several other accused individuals, including Farah Gogi and Zulfi Bukhari, seeks trial and punishment for those involved.
The Registrar’s Office is currently reviewing the reference before it is presented to Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir for further proceedings.
