The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has directed its Rawalpindi team to arrest Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, over allegations related to the £190 million corruption case. The bureau has also instructed its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) branch to assist with the operation, seeking additional support from the KP police if needed.
The move follows a November 22 ruling by an accountability court that issued non-bailable warrants against Bushra Bibi after she missed eight consecutive hearings. Judge Nasir Javed Rana dismissed her plea for exemption from court appearances and issued a notice to her guarantor for failing to ensure her attendance.
During the same hearing, Imran Khan, currently detained in Adiala Jail, was brought to court. Meanwhile, NAB officials raised doubts over the credibility of Bushra Bibi’s medical report, which was issued in Peshawar but notarized in Islamabad. The court noted that both Bushra and Khan had yet to respond to a detailed 79-point questionnaire presented earlier in the case.
The corruption case revolves around allegations that Rs50 billion (£190 million), returned to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency as part of a settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz, was misused. The funds were reportedly intended for the national treasury but were allegedly redirected for personal gain. Bushra Bibi, as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust, is accused of benefiting from this settlement, including acquiring 458 kanals of land for Al-Qadir University in Sohawa.
This isn’t the first legal trouble for Bushra Bibi. She was granted bail last month after nine months in custody over the Toshakhana case. As investigations continue, the NAB aims to push forward with its probe into the misuse of public funds.