ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday rejected the petitions of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million corruption case, noting that their main appeals were already scheduled for hearing.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar observed that the central appeals would be taken up on May 7. In view of the upcoming hearing, the court declared the suspension applications to be infructuous.
During the April 30 hearing, Justice Dogar had stressed that the most appropriate course would be an early disposal of the main appeal instead of separately considering suspension pleas.
Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 5, 2023 in a separate Toshakhana-related case, is currently serving a 14-year sentence in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail in the £190 million case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.
An accountability court in Islamabad had earlier sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison on January 17, 2025. Both later challenged their convictions before the IHC.
The case alleges that the couple received billions of rupees and land measuring hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for legalising Rs50 billion identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
In a separate development, Bushra Bibi’s daughter filed a petition seeking access to her mother’s personal physician and permission for a family meeting.
During the hearing, counsel Salman Akram Raja informed the court that an application had already been submitted to Adiala Jail authorities via courier and in person. He added that Bushra Bibi underwent surgery between April 16 and 17.
The court directed the jail superintendent to decide the application within two days and issue a reasoned order, while also summoning the official in person on May 6.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir observed that the matter was being referred to jail authorities for appropriate action, noting that such issues were also being publicly discussed.
It is also recalled that on April 19, Bushra Bibi had separately approached the IHC seeking suspension of her sentence in the £190 million case on medical grounds.
In another related matter, the IHC sought a response from jail authorities in a contempt petition concerning the failure to arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and his lawyer. The court was informed that jail officials had not yet signed the counsel’s power of attorney.
The order relates to a March 2025 judgment that restored the former prime minister’s visitation rights twice a week.
Separately, the court issued notice to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan in a petition seeking closure of Imran Khan’s account on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that inflammatory posts were shared from the account of the PTI founder.
Further proceedings in all these matters were adjourned until next week.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum wrote on X that the family had appealed to PTI office-holders, senior leadership, MNAs, MPAs and senators to visit Adiala Jail on Tuesday to “build pressure” for access to the former prime minister.
The IHC has allowed Imran Khan two weekly meetings—on Tuesdays and Thursdays—with family members, lawyers and associates. However, despite court orders, these meetings have reportedly remained restricted.
While Imran Khan’s sisters continue to regularly visit the jail without success in meeting him, PTI leaders had skipped visits for two consecutive weeks in April before eventually visiting Adiala Jail on April 30.
In her post a day before the court-designated Tuesday meeting day, Aleema Khan urged PTI members to gather at Adiala Jail to pressure authorities for immediate access for family and lawyers, his transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for proper medical examination in the presence of specialists and his personal doctor, and for early hearing of bail petitions.
She further alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being held in solitary confinement, describing it as one of the harshest forms of detention in violation of Pakistani law and international human rights standards.