Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, on Friday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the urgent hearing of their appeals against Toshakhana-I convictions and to suspend sentences in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, citing prosecutorial delays and “dilatory tactics.” The couple, currently in jail, filed the petitions under Section 561-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), asking the court to fast-track their appeals and to instruct jail authorities to ensure unrestricted access to their legal team. The move follows a hearing on 31st March, which was adjourned after their defence counsel sought time to obtain fresh instructions from the former prime minister and his spouse. The appeals challenge a January 2024 judgment of Accountability Court No 1, Islamabad, which convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and sentenced them to 14 years in jail. The IHC later suspended their sentences in April 2024. In their petitions, the couple alleged that the trial court’s ruling suffered from a “serious misreading and non-reading of material evidence” and was made without the “proper application of judicial mind.” The filings also highlighted Khan’s medical condition, noting a diagnosis of “right central retinal vein occlusion” and stating that necessary treatment is unavailable at Adiala Jail. Bushra Bibi, described in court documents as a “veiled” woman with no history of holding public office, argued that she had been implicated solely through her marital relationship. In a separate application, Bushra Bibi requested a ruling on her plea for suspension of sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case, which she said had been pending for more than ten months. The petition accused the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) head, Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt, of using “procedural manoeuvring” to delay proceedings. It added that despite previous court orders, the matter had been repeatedly adjourned on grounds such as the prosecutor’s unavailability or requests for further preparation time. Bushra Bibi’s application noted that she has already served over a year of her seven-year sentence and invoked statutory leniency for female convicts. Both petitions raised concerns over restricted access to legal counsel at Adiala Jail. Imran Khan’s petition argued that the denial of meetings violated constitutional protections, including the right to liberty, a fair trial, and dignity. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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