Senator Faisal Vawda said government and PTI negotiators wanted Imran Khan to remain in jail.
Commenting on the announcement of the £190 million case verdict, he warned the PTI against filing an appeal in the High Court, predicting that it would end in disappointment.
Speaking to a private television channel, Vawda criticized the handling of corruption cases under the PTI government.
“When the government received this disastrous order, I said it would end in prison. It’s always been a simple, open affair,” he said.
Vawda also accused PTI leaders of mismanaging a deal with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), saying: “A loss of Rs 100 billion has been inflicted on the country.” The evidence of corruption is clear.
The senator also did not spare Imran Khan, saying his political and personal changes since 2018 led to the downfall of the party. “Before 2018, Imran Khan was honest. However, his new marriage brought chaos, corruption and infighting,” Vawda claimed.
He also criticized the change in stance towards the Pakistan Army. “Yesterday, we praised the army; today he is criticized. This inconsistency is damaging,” he added.
Foreseeing further unrest, Vawda noted that the ongoing negotiations and political strategies would bring little relief to the PTI. “On January 20, the so-called ‘trump’ will lose its effect and despair will grow,” he said.
Highlighting internal dissent, Vawda claimed that several ministers from Khan’s tenure had testified against him on condition of anonymity. “Their press conferences today hide the truth about their previous betrayals,” he said.
Vawda concluded by pointing out that Imran Khan faces more legal challenges, adding, “The difficult times have only just begun and they will persist. »
Imran and Bushra convicted in £190m case; sentenced to 14 and 7 years respectively
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were found guilty in a £190 million case on Friday. Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Bushra Bibi was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Accountability court judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the order in a courtroom at Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, where Imran had been detained for more than a year.
In addition to the jail terms, the court imposed fines of 1 million rupees on Imran and 500,000 rupees on Bushra. If the fines are not paid, Imran Khan will serve an additional six months in prison and Bushra Bibi will be sentenced to an additional three months.
The verdict also states that the assets of the “fake trust”, the Al-Qadir University Project Trust, must be forfeited to the federal government in accordance with section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999.
The verdict was announced under tight security outside the prison. Following the verdict, Bushra Bibi was immediately arrested in the courtroom.
It is noted that Justice Rana had reserved his verdict on December 18 while adjourning the case to December 23. However, on December 23, the court adjourned the announcement of the order without giving reasons.
On January 6, the next hearing date, the verdict was again not revealed as the judge was participating in a training session organized for all district and sessions judges.
Before the final hearing of the case, court staff informed Imran and Bushra’s lawyers that the judge was going to announce the verdict on January 13, but on that day, the court again postponed the announcement of its verdict. verdict after the failure of Imran Khan and his wife. appear in court.
