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An accountability court has rejected the petitions of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, seeking acquittal in the 190 million corruption case under the amended National Accountability Ordinance of 1999, Dawn reported.
While relying on the amended National Accountability Ordinance, Khan said that the case against him was initiated based on a meeting of a federal cabinet, and the law has protected the cabinet's decision, Dawn reported. The petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan stated, "Despite being fully aware that the case does not fall within the ambit of the NAO, the NAB exceeded its jurisdiction and filed a false and frivolous reference, alleging that the applicant, as prime minister of Pakistan, chaired the cabinet meeting held on Dec 3, 2019, during which a deed of confidentiality was approved." It said Imran Khan has been accused by NAB of misusing his authority for the said proposal and, in return, took approximately 458 kanals of land in tehsil Sohawa of Jhelum district, Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 285 million in cash, and other benefits under the guise of donations for Al-Qadir University Project Trust. The petition reads, "Additionally, it is alleged that the applicant and his spouse, through their associate Farhat Shehzadi, received 240 kanals of land from co-accused Ahmad Ali Riaz Malik as compensation for personal gain," according to Dawn report. "Thus, the accused/applicant, as a public officeholder, is accused of misusing his authority for personal gain for himself and his wife in the form of donations and other benefits," it said, according to Dawn report. The NAB prosecution argued that the case against Imran Khan is that he had misled the cabinet to gain their approval, the report said. The prosecutor said Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan had not disclosed the facts with the cabinet members and forced them to approve the confidential deed in a sealed envelope. During the proceedings, the accountability judge Nasir Javed Rana dismissed the petition. Meanwhile, PTI founder Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail, earlier this month, approached the Islamabad High Court over an apprehension of court martial and filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his possible trial in a military court, Dawn reported. He has expressed fears of his court martial in connection with the May 9 riots based on the FIRs registered against him in Rawalpindi.In his petition, he referred to the recent arrest of former ISI Director-General, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (ret). "A few weeks ago, a retired senior army officer was taken into military custody. It has been widely speculated and reported in the media that he will be made an approver against the petitioner in cases pertaining to May 9 and 10, 2023 and the petitioner will be transferred to military custody on this basis," Khan was quoted as saying. Imran Khan stated that his apprehensions had been given credence inter alia by a statement made by Barrister Aqeel Malik, federal government's spokesman for legal affairs. Malik said that the petitioner could absolutely be tried in a military court, and that the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, were applicable to him. Imran Khan also referred to a statement by federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, that it would be the Punjab government's prerogative to decide whether or not to refer the May 9 cases against the PTI to a military court. (ANI)
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