Show-cause notice also served to Bushra Bibi's guarantor
Court orders police to arrest Bushra Bibi, present on Nov 26
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Following the issuance of a non-bailable arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi, the court has directed law enforcement authorities to arrest and present her on November 26.
Earlier in the day, the Accountability Court in Islamabad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan, in connection with the 190 million pound corruption reference.
A show-cause notice was also served to her guarantor. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have yet to submit their response to the court's questions under Section 342.
The decision came during a hearing held at Adiala Jail by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana. Bushra Bibi failed to appear in court once again and sought exemption from attendance on medical grounds, a plea which the court rejected.
The prosecution argued that the repeated requests for exemption were delaying tactics and highlighted that the accused had been absent for the last eight hearings. They further pointed out that Bushra Bibi's medical report was issued from Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, while the notary certification was from Islamabad.
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As a result, the court cancelled Bushra Bibi’s bail over repeated non-appearance and issued the warrant for her arrest.
The hearing has been adjourned to November 26, with strict instructions for Bushra Bibi to be presented in court by then.
Earlier, defence lawyers have submitted a list of 16 witnesses to the Accountability Court. The list includes prominent individuals, such as the Vice Chancellor of Government College University Lahore and former officials from the Cabinet Division and Higher Education Commission (HEC).
However, lawyers from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have argued that the submission of the witness list is a delaying tactic.
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They contended that while the court has the authority to summon judicial witnesses, the timing of this request is aimed at prolonging the proceedings. NAB lawyers also emphasized that the accused should answer the questions once the witnesses' testimonies are complete.
The defence lawyers have asked the court to summon all 16 witnesses, while NAB has expressed no objection to summoning judicial witnesses at a later stage but raised concerns about the timing of the request. The court has reserved its decision on when to summon the witnesses.
