IHC registrar flags 'unaddressed objections' in Imran’s bail plea

ISLAMABAD: The registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday pointed out that objections raised over a petition seeking bail for former prime minister Imran Khan had not been addressed despite the lapse of seven days.

The appeal, filed by PTI lawyers, seeks suspension of the sentence awarded to the PTI founder in the Toshakhana-II case and his release on bail on medical grounds.

The registrar said the petitioner had been given a week to remove the objections. “But now the time is up,” he remarked, adding that as long as the objections remained unresolved, the petition could not be fixed for hearing.

The petition, submitted on Saturday by Barrister Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry Advocate, requested that Imran’s prison term be suspended until a final decision on his appeal.

It stated that only 15 per cent vision remained in his right eye and that Dr Muhammad Arif at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) had reportedly indicated that specialised treatment was not possible at Adiala Jail.

The petition further argued that Imran, 73, faced serious health risks due to prolonged incarceration. It noted that on December 20, 2025, a special judge central-I Islamabad had sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of over Rs10 million in the Toshakhana Bulgari set case.

Additionally, he was handed a seven-year sentence under anti-corruption laws. The petitioners contended that awarding sentences under two separate laws for a single allegation constituted double jeopardy and violated legal principles.

They also argued that Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code was inapplicable, as the former premier was not a public servant at the relevant time.

The plea maintained that Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had paid 50 per cent of the assessed value of the gifts in line with the Toshakhana policy and retained them legally. It further claimed that statements by prosecution witnesses Sohaib Abbasi and Inamullah Shah contained contradictions.

Separately, another petition has been filed before the IHC seeking suspension of Imran’s sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case.