ISLAMABAD:
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the accountability court’s January 17 verdict convicting them in the £190 million corruption case.
In his plea, Imran Khan argued that the conviction was unjust, unfair, and a clear example of political victimization orchestrated by his opponents and the current government.
“Since his unconstitutional removal from the office of Prime Minister, the appellant has faced nearly 280 criminal prosecutions, underscoring the relentless and targeted nature of these legal actions,” the petition stated.
It further alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been misused as a political weapon by his rivals, with its resources deployed to settle political scores.
The plea claimed this was NAB’s third attempt to politically target and victimize Khan, asserting that the primary goal of the prosecution was to incarcerate him, hinder his participation in national politics, and diminish his political influence.
The petition highlighted that Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has repeatedly faced prosecutions resulting in convictions, followed by bails, suspended sentences, and eventual acquittals.
“These outcomes have consistently shown that the appellant has no criminal tendencies or involvement in unlawful activities. Notably, no private individual has been aggrieved in these cases, which have been initiated by the state under the direction of political adversaries,” it stated.
The plea called for an honorable acquittal, emphasizing that Imran Khan’s status as a political prisoner reflects unprecedented political victimization.
“Such an acquittal would not only address the glaring injustice but also uphold the fundamental principles of fairness and impartiality that are essential to the judicial process,” it concluded.
