KARACHI, DEC 1 – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday ordered the defreezing of bank accounts of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) and Namal University, during a hearing of a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah issued the directive after the prosecution confirmed it had no objection to unfreezing the accounts of the two institutions.
During proceedings of the case linked to the November 26 PTI protest, Prosecutor Zaheer Shah told the court that Aleema’s CNIC number had been sent to the State Bank with the request to freeze her personal bank accounts. However, the State Bank shut all accounts registered under the same CNIC, which included those of SKMT and Namal University.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court ordered the defreezing of the four accounts of SKMT, and those of Namal University as well.
The development comes days after the SKMT reassured the public that the “vast majority” of its bank accounts remained fully operational, despite reports of closures and disruptions to donations.
In a statement on X, SKMT said a small number of accounts had restrictions placed on them, but patient care and treatment services continued uninterrupted.
The Trust expressed gratitude for the public’s “unwavering trust” in its mission to offer free cancer care to more than 75% of its patients nationwide.
SKMT is a charitable organisation established under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 and founded by incarcerated PTI founder Imran. It operates major cancer hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar, with a third facility currently under construction in Karachi.
