What happened
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has finalised its charge sheet in the PTI foreign funding case, naming former prime minister and party founder Imran Khan as the principal accused, and was expected to submit the 57-page document to a court in Islamabad on Wednesday 15 April 2026.
The Express Tribune reported that the charge sheet names 11 accused in total, including Tariq Shafi and Hamid Zaman. Three suspects have been declared proclaimed offenders, among them Arif Naqvi and Tariq Rahim Sheikh. Pakistan Today reported the same details from the case record.
According to the reports, investigators say roughly 1,800 transactions were made into PTI accounts from various countries under the title “Naya Pakistan”. The accused face allegations of receiving illegal funding amounting to $2.1 million. The party is also alleged to have received a further $2.1 million from a company named Wootton Cricket Limited. The reports said PTI records submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan identified Arif Naqvi as the owner of Wootton Cricket Limited, a company said to be registered in the Cayman Islands, while the charge sheet claims the company is fictitious and was not found to be registered anywhere.
The matter was heard at a banking court in Islamabad, where Special Court Judge Abdul Ghafoor Kakar took up the case and Special Prosecutor Wasiq Malik and the investigation officer appeared. The court adjourned the main hearing until 21 April and extended the interim bail of accused Siraj Ahmed and Faisal Qazi until the same date. Arguments on Faisal Qazi’s bail plea could not be presented because he was absent, and the judge remarked that if an accused fails to appear at the next hearing the court will take up the matter accordingly.
Why it matters
The charge sheet is the formal step that moves the long-running foreign funding investigation closer to trial, and it places the party’s jailed founder at the centre of the case rather than on its periphery. Naming Imran Khan as principal accused signals that prosecutors intend to pursue him directly on the money-laundering and funding allegations that the FIA has registered.
The case carries political weight in Pakistan because it targets the country’s largest opposition party while its founder has been in prison since August 2023. PTI has denied wrongdoing and has said the funds were legitimate contributions from Pakistanis living abroad; the allegations in the charge sheet have not been tested in court.
What is still uncertain
It was not certain by the time of reporting that the charge sheet had been formally submitted, only that the FIA had prepared it and told the court it would be filed. The evidence it contains has not been made public in full, and no formal charges have been framed. It is also unclear whether further suspects will be added or how the banking court will proceed when the case resumes on 21 April.
Sources & reporting notes
This article is a synthesis of published material, not original reporting. Sources were reviewed on 15 April 2026.
- The Express Tribune — Imran named prime accused in funding casePublished 15 April 2026 · The 57-page charge sheet, the 11 accused, the proclaimed offenders, the $2.1m allegations and the banking court's 21 April adjournment.
- Pakistan Today — Imran Khan named principal accused in FIA foreign funding case chargesheetPublished 15 April 2026 · Confirms the accused, the Wootton Cricket Limited claim and the interim bail extensions.
