A court in Pakistan on Monday (Jan 13) postponed for the third time the verdict on the 190-million-pound Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi. The verdict will now be announced on January 17.
This is the third time that the matter has been deferred. Previously the verdict was supposed to be announced on the 23rd of December 2024, then on the 6th of January 2025 and the new date was set for Monday.
On the previous two occasions, the judge hearing the case who was to announce the verdict, Judge Nasir Javed, was on a judicial training.
Also read: Verdict in Al Qadir Trust case against ex-Pak PM Imran Khan, wife delayed. What is it?
Also read: Verdict in Al Qadir Trust case against ex-Pak PM Imran Khan, wife delayed. What is it?
What happened Monday inside the Adiala Jail prison court?
The verdict was all set to be announced at 11am local time. At 0830 AM, Judge Nasir Javed arrived at the Adiala Jail.
The judge asked the court staff as to where the accused - Imran Khan and wife - were.
He was informed by the court staff that Imran Khan has refused to be present in the court until his lawyers and family members arrive.
The judge waited and for the second time, around 10 am, he sent out the same message through the court staff asking for Imran Khan and his lawyers to be produced.
The reply was the same and lawyers were nowhere to be seen.
At 1030AM a visibly annoyed Judge Javed expressed displeasure on the lack of presence of Imran Khan, his wife and their lawyers for the verdict that was supposed to be announced at 11 am.
Setting out a new date of the announcement of the verdict, the judge remarked: “Everything was set today, I have the verdict ready and signed.”
He then set the date for the announcement of the verdict for 17th of January 2025, Friday.
The judge then left the Adiala Jail premises at 1039 AM.
The judge then left the Adiala Jail premises at 1039 AM.
For the verdict that was supposed to be announced at 11 AM, Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi arrived at the Adiala Jail at 1050AM PKT.
She was informed that she was late and that a new date for the verdict has been set.