IHC imposes Rs100,000 fine on NAB for delay in £190m graft case against Imran, Bushra

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday fined the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rs100,000 for what it described as "delaying tactics" in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

The decision was made by a division bench consisting of IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif during a hearing on petitions filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The couple had approached the court seeking the suspension of their sentences and appealing their convictions in the case.

Before the hearing commenced, NAB submitted a legal response to the court, raising a preliminary objection regarding the court's jurisdiction. The bureau argued that the applications filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi under Section 426 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were premature. NAB stated that the appeals had not yet been formally admitted for a regular hearing by the high court. Citing legal precedents, NAB maintained that the term "pending appeal" refers to appeals that have been admitted for hearing, and therefore, the applications for suspension of sentence should not be entertained at this stage.

However, the IHC bench rejected NAB's argument and expressed dissatisfaction with the bureau's approach. The court observed that NAB was employing tactics that resulted in unnecessary delays in the proceedings. As a consequence, the court imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on NAB for its conduct.

The hearing was part of ongoing legal proceedings in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case, which centers on allegations of corruption involving the transfer of £190 million. Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have denied any wrongdoing and are challenging their convictions in the IHC.

The court's order is expected to impact the pace of the case as it continues to hear appeals and related applications from the former prime minister and his spouse.