ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the accountability court was prevented from delivering its decision in the £190 million corruption case against PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
While considering the petitions of Mr. Khan and Bushra Bibi, a division bench made up of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq imposed the restraining order.
The two had relied on changes to the National Accountability Ordinance brought in by the then-PDM leadership in 2022 to seek acquittal of the offense through their petitions.
Nonetheless, the trial court was asked to carry on with the case by the high court.
The defense attorney was unavailable to cross-examine the final prosecution witness, so the trial judge adjourned the hearings without making any headway on Wednesday.
Imran asserts Government “firm” on constitutional package; four umpires “actively involved” in the issue
Speaking with reporters following the £190 million corruption trial at Adiala Jail, Mr. Khan stated that the administration was determined to implement the proposed constitutional modifications and was actively seeking the necessary support in the National Assembly and Senate to ensure their passage.
He claimed that even with the “active involvement of four umpires,” the administration could not win the match, alluding to the NA and Senate sessions being adjourned without the constitutional modifications being introduced.
The former prime minister claimed that in order to prevent “fraudulent” elections, the government was implementing constitutional revisions that would “benefit three umpires”: the top justice of Pakistan, the chief justice of the International Humanitarian Court, and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Mr. Khan responded to a query about whether the planned constitutional revisions had been rescinded by saying that the government is working to obtain a two-thirds majority in parliament in order to present the amendments.
All political groups, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F, were asked by Mr. Khan to support democracy. He went on to say that they orchestrated the May 9 tragedy after their previous attempts to destroy the PTI had failed.
The former prime minister claimed that the PTI’s resounding win on February 8th, even in the absence of a formal fight, served as a wake-up call for those seeking to destroy the party.
Before the May 9 riots, Mr. Khan claimed to have escaped two assassination attempts and to have been the target of 140 cases. He also claimed that the violent protests were the result of the removal of the CCTV recordings.
The imprisoned leader claimed that on May 9, 2023, he was purposefully dragged by law enforcement officers in order to encourage his supporters to violence. He also bemoaned the fact that the CCTV tape of his arrest had been taken from the IHC’s property.
He conveyed his expectation that Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the incoming chief justice, will address his request for clarification. He asserted that Yasmin Rashid, the PTI’s incarcerated leader, had defeated Nawaz Sharif, but he was able to obtain 74,000 forged votes.
He asked why, after eight months, the election tribunals are still ineffective.
Mr. Khan stated that the country was probably going to experience a similar circumstance, citing the revelations of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report that the country’s military ruler, Gen. Yahya Khan, had violated democracy in order to maintain power.
He claimed that the government was attempting to undermine the rule of law, which is directly related to foreign investment, and that without the rule of law, investors would not come to the nation.
He asserted that there was a connection between political and economic stability.
He urged people to attend the gathering planned for later this week, alleging that police had begun detaining PTI workers in an attempt to undermine the upcoming Lahore jalsa.
