The indictment of former prime minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million corruption reference was postponed by an accountability court on Tuesday because Nasir Javed Rana, the newly appointed judge, has not yet taken over.
Today at Adiala jail, Judge Rana was supposed to hold his initial hearing in this case.
Due to Judge Muhammad Bashir’s absence, the indictment of Imran and Bushra has been postponed numerous times without any proceedings.
Nasir Javed Rana, a district and sessions judge, was named by the Ministry of Law and Justice as the new judge at Islamabad Accountability Court-I. Muhammad Bashir, the current judge of the accountability court, is scheduled to retire on March 14.
Judge Bashir requested medical leave until his retirement on January 20.
The judge said he was unable to carry out his duties because of his failing health in a letter to the Ministry of Law and Justice as well as the IHC.
The ministry, however, rejected his request. The judge withdrew his plea on January 27 when his request was denied, claiming that he was now well and able to carry out his duties.
Judge Bashir gave former prime minister Imran and his wife Bushra a 14-year prison sentence on January 28 for misusing the state’s gift repository while the former was prime minister. The judge requested leave till his medical retirement once more on February 3.
A number of high-profile cases were being heard by Judge Bashir, including references from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the former Imran Khan and his wife for their suspected participation in a £190 million scandal.
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