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Wednesday, March 19, 2025  
17 Ramadan 1446  

Jailed former PM Imran Khan victim of his own folly, says Abbasi

Former PM describes National Accountability Bureau as ‘black law’
Exclusive interview of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi - Rubaroo - Jan 19, 2025 - Aaj News

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan “is a victim of his own folly,” Awaam Pakistan party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Sunday as the PTI founder’s legal woes continue after conviction in the £190 million Al Qadir Trust case.

“There was a debate on NAB which is a black law as to how to bring it under law in the PTI tenure. Imran Khan is the victim of the same law for which he refused the amendments,” Abbasi said while appearing on the Aaj News programme Rubaroo.

On Friday, an accountability court sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to 14 years and his wife to seven years in jail in the £190 million Al Qadir Trust case.

The court which held its hearing in the Adiala Jail found both suspects guilty of corruption. The PTI founder has been fined Rs1 million while Bushra Bibi has received a fine of Rs500,000.

Accountability Court judge, Justice Nasir Javed Rana warned that failure to pay fines would result in an additional six months sentence for the PTI founder and three months for Bibi.

While speaking about the past meetings with the PTI, Abbasi said that the government given notes related to the NAB amendments to the-then government to explain it to former PM Khan.

“After two hours, Shah Mehmood Qureshi waved that document in the assembly and said it [the opposition] is seeking NRO from us. If what they were saying was given, they would have been getting NRO,” the former PM said and expressed hope that Khan might have learned in jail about his conduct and choice of words for political leaders.

Abbasi explained that “people are guilty until proven innocent” under NAB law.

When asked about his meeting with opposition leaders in Islamabad, the Awaam Pakistan leader said that he supported steps for the supremacy of the Constitution and restoration of democracy in the country.

According to him, the country’s matters would not be resolved via talks.

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“Believe me that when US President-elect Donald Trump will take oath, Imran Khan and Pakistan will not be in his mind,” he said.

The former premier added that only time would tell whether Khan has changed his politics or not. He called for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s chief in the opposition’s movement for the restoration of democracy and an all-parties conference.

In response to a question about Khan’s conviction in the graft case, he said: “Until the agreement approved by the then cabinet is made public, there will be rumours.”

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