IHC adjourns Imran, Bushra Bibi sentence suspension pleas in £190m case till April 6

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned proceedings on applications seeking suspension of sentences filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the £190 million corruption case after the defence requested additional time to consult their clients.

The hearing was conducted by a division bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, alongside Justice Muhammad Asif. Defence counsel Salman Safdar appeared before the court, while the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was represented by Special Prosecutor Javed Ashraf and prosecutor Rafay Maqsood.

At the outset, the prosecution raised procedural objections, arguing that two separate applications for suspension of sentence had already been filed and could not be entertained without issuing notices in the main appeals. The NAB prosecutor further contended that recent amendments to accountability laws required the court to first take up the main appeals before deciding on interim relief.

In response, Barrister Safdar maintained that his clients had been convicted on January 17, 2025, and despite the passage of more than a year, the prosecution had repeatedly delayed proceedings. He emphasised that the defence had consistently appeared before the court and urged it to consider suspending the sentences and granting bail, citing medical grounds as well.

However, the bench questioned whether the defence was prepared to proceed with arguments on the main appeals against conviction, even suggesting a structured hearing schedule of two days per week to expedite the case.

Safdar informed the court that he had been unable to meet or receive instructions from Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi for the past five months, making it difficult to advance arguments on the appeals. He stressed that meaningful representation required direct consultation with his clients and requested time for that purpose.

Chief Justice Dogar observed that if the main appeals were fixed for hearing, the suspension of sentence applications might not be considered separately. The defence reiterated its position, insisting that without instructions, it could not proceed effectively.

The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that while bail matters were typically brief, appeals required detailed and substantive arguments, questioning the defence’s hesitation if its case was straightforward.

After hearing both sides, the court granted the defence additional time to consult their clients and adjourned the hearing until April 6.

The case, commonly referred to as the Al-Qadir Trust case, stems from allegations that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi received billions of rupees and valuable land from a private housing society in exchange for facilitating the legalisation of £190 million repatriated to Pakistan from the United Kingdom during the PTI government.

An accountability court had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison on January 17, 2025. Both challenged the verdict before the IHC shortly afterwards.

Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023, is currently serving his sentence at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. In addition to the £190m case, he has also been convicted in separate Toshakhana-related proceedings and faces multiple trials under anti-terrorism laws linked to the May 9, 2023 unrest.

The adjournment means the legal battle over the high-profile corruption case will continue, with the next hearing expected to determine whether interim relief can be granted or if the court proceeds directly with detailed appellate arguments.