The high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case has driven former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to file appeals at the Islamabad High Court. The couple received their sentences this month from an anti-corruption court which convicted them of corruption totaling £190 million. The court sentenced Mrs. Bushra Bibi to serve seven years behind bars and Mr. Imran Khan to fourteen years in prison.
A Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) statement declared that the we filed an appeal following decisions made by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which they dubbed as base usage of power despite outstanding investigation. According to the party’s claim the proceedings served to tarnish the reputation of Pakistan’s former first couple.
The authorities are accusing both Hashmat and Kashmat Khan of using money repatriated to Pakistan by the U.K.’s National Crime Agency for improper purposes. Allegedly funds destined for the national treasury ended up providing financial benefits to a property billionaire who funded the establishment of Al-Qadir University in Jhelum. The Al-Qadir Trust’s trustee Bushra Bibi purchased 458 kanals of land after officials accused her of participating in the suspected scheme. 
The Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan denied exiting Pakistan after receiving an offer of three years as part of an agreement he rejected. His defense team has filed legal documents to annul his conviction and work toward getting both of them free from charges.
Political tensions surround the case because only Khan and Bibi face prosecution although other defendants including the property tycoon remain abroad. The IHC appeal strives to prove either the NAB’s investigation or its democratic judgment process was corrupted.
The latest court development introduces more sections to Pakistan’s continuous legal battle over its past Prime Minister.
