Imran Khan Urgently Seeks Justice Amidst High-Stakes Corruption Case Under New NAB Amendments
Imran Khan Seeks Acquittal in £190 Million Corruption Case, Citing Amended Anti-Graft Laws
Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has petitioned an accountability court for acquittal in a £190 million corruption case, leveraging newly amended anti-corruption laws he had previously criticized. The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder opposed amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws introduced by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government in 2022. However, after initial rejection by the Supreme Court, the amendments were reinstated on September 15, 2023, by a bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
The amendments to the NAB laws reduced the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limited the bureau’s jurisdiction to cases exceeding Pakistani Rs 500 million, and transferred pending cases to relevant authorities. Khan’s legal team argues that these amendments safeguard decisions made by the Federal Cabinet, challenging NAB’s jurisdiction and accusing it of politically motivated actions.
The NAB claims Khan misused his authority during a December 2019 cabinet meeting, obtaining approximately 458 kanal of land, Pakistani Rs 285 million, and other benefits for the Al-Qadir University Project Trust. Additionally, the NAB alleges Khan and his spouse received 240 kanal of land from a co-accused for personal gain. Charges were framed against Khan and his spouse on February 27, 2023, on nine counts.
Khan’s counsel, Usman Riaz Gill, indicated the decision to utilize the amended National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) was strategic. Khan criticized the NAB amendments as constitutionally contradictory, claiming no parliament globally had passed laws pardoning such graft. He also alleged that while the NAB operated under the then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during his tenure, it is now influenced by the current army chief.
This case places a spotlight on Pakistan’s legal and political landscape, as Khan seeks exoneration amidst accusations of political vendetta.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/international/story/pakistan-imran-khan-seeks-acquittal-in-corruption-case-under-nab-amendments-1088469-2024-09-08?utm_source=rssfeed
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