An accountability court has adjourned the £190m NCA scandal case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi after Bushra expressed a lack of confidence in the presiding judge. T
This disruption occurred during the hearing on Friday, preventing the court from recording witness testimonies. At the outset of the hearing, Bushra Bibi approached the rostrum, voicing her lack of faith in the judge, citing dissatisfaction with previous judicial proceedings and expressing frustration over not being informed about a scheduled hearing on May 15 at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. She asserted that she was not a prisoner in the NCA case but felt jailed due to “injustice.”
Bushra Bibi entered the courtroom in an aggressive manner and chose to sit apart from her husband, his sisters, and her daughters. After expressing her concerns to the judge, Imran Khan attempted to convince her to join him in the family section, but she initially declined, later meeting her daughters in a separate room.
During the proceedings, Imran Khan frequently moved between his lawyers, wife, and other family members, often seen whispering to Bushra Bibi. His lawyers sought time from the court to persuade Bushra to retract her statement of no confidence in the judge. The court adjourned the hearing three times at the request of the lawyers.
Ultimately, Imran Khan and his legal team informed the judge that Bushra Bibi would withdraw her lack of confidence remarks. They also requested a 15-day period before the next hearing to allow time for further discussions. However, the court adjourned the hearing to May 22 without recording any witness testimonies.
Speaking to journalists outside Adiala Jail, PTI lawyer Naeem Panjutha confirmed Bushra Bibi’s expression of no confidence in the judge due to the slow pace of the trial. He mentioned that Imran Khan requested medical tests at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, alleging that reports from PIMS doctors were falsified. Panjutha also noted that Bushra Bibi refused medical examination by PIMS doctors.
The lawyer claimed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) intends to file a new reference against Imran Khan. Previously, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved Imran Khan’s bail petition in the £190 million NCA settlement reference, ordering his release against a surety bond of Rs1 million.
The £190 million NCA scandal case, filed by NAB Rawalpindi in December last year, names several accused, including Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Farhat Shezadi (Farah Gogi), Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari. The reference alleges that these individuals committed corruption and corrupt practices under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
