PM's daughter, son-in-law acquitted in PPDC corruption case

LAHORE: A special court (central) in Lahore has acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s daughter Rabia Imran and her husband Ali Imran Yousaf in a corruption case linked to the Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC).

Judge Ashfaq Ahmed announced the ruling on the couple’s acquittal applications and ordered that both accused be discharged from the case.

Case details

According to the prosecution, former PPDC chief financial officer Ikram Naveed had placed funds in Ali and Fatima Developers Company, which is owned by Rabia Imran and Ali Imran Yousaf, and had also bought two floors in their plaza, Ali Trade Centre.

The investigating officer stated that Naveed had invested Rs132 million in the plaza. During the proceedings, counsel for the couple argued that the property had been sealed because of the investment made by Naveed. The defence also told the court that the couple was prepared to return the amount if the property was released.

In his observations, the judge said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could recover the amount connected to the transaction. He further noted that the couple had been made part of the case on the basis of an investment in their company by one of the accused persons, and held that this was unjustified.

The court also observed that NAB had submitted a supplementary reference against Rabia Imran and Ali Imran Yousaf without sufficient evidence. On that basis, the judge accepted their acquittal pleas and ordered their discharge from the proceedings.

Transfer of reference

The reference was first filed before an accountability court. It was later moved to the special court (central) after amendments to the NAB law.

Case records show that Ikram Naveed, who was also an accused in the corruption reference, had entered into a plea bargain with NAB.

Recent developments

Rabia Imran and her husband had recently returned to Pakistan after ending their self-exile in order to face the cases against them.

Earlier this month, an anti-corruption court also acquitted the couple in another case concerning alleged irregularities in the Punjab Saaf Pani Company.

The latest ruling marks another legal relief for the two in proceedings tied to public-sector company matters in Punjab. The court order in the PPDC case specifically addressed the basis on which they had been nominated and found the material presented against them insufficient for continuation of the case.