An accountability court on Monday turned down the National Accountability Bureau’s request for an extension of PTI chief Imran Khan’s physical remand, and instead sent him on judicial remand in the Al Qadir Trust case.
Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir issued the directives while conducting the hearing at Adiala Jail.
The development comes a day after a NAB team visited Imran at the jail and interrogated him for a couple of hours in the case.
The case alleges that the ex-premier and his wife, Bushra Bibi, obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.
During the hearing, Imran’s wife and legal team appeared before the court. A five-member NAB team was also present on the occasion. The officials from the accountability watchdog requested an extension for the former premier’s physical remand.
However, the court rejected the plea and placed the PTI chief on judicial remand. Later speaking to media, Imran’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa said he had long contended that physical remand was unnecessary in this case.
He accused NAB of being an institution engaged in “political engineering and political vendetta,” alleging that the government frequently manipulated it for its own gains.
