IHC Adjourns 190m Corruption Case for 10 Days
The Islamabad High Court has adjourned the appeals of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the 190m corruption case for 10 days, and ordered the authorities to arrange a meeting between the former prime minister and his legal team.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar heard the appeals on Tuesday. The court directed the advocate general to arrange a meeting of at least an hour between Imran and his counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, and to have the paper books ready before the next hearing.
The appeals challenge the convictions in the £190 million reference, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. An accountability court sentenced Imran to 14 years in prison and Bushra to seven years in January 2025.
190m corruption case held up by lack of access
The hearing turned on a simple problem. The lawyers said they had not been allowed to meet their clients, so they could not prepare or present arguments.
Justice Dogar recalled that on June 29 the court had directed the counsel to proceed with arguments and obtained an undertaking that no adjournment would be sought. Barrister Salman Safdar replied that the undertaking had been given by Advocate Khosa.
Khosa then told the court that he had not been granted access to Imran. The chief justice asked Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Hayat Malik whether a meeting could be arranged within the next couple of days. The advocate general replied that it could.
Safdar said he had been denied access to Imran for seven months and to Bushra for 11 months, and had been allowed to meet them for only 40 minutes. He added that the paper books, running to about 3,500 pages with testimony from 35 witnesses, had yet to be received from the high court.
Bushra Bibi health concerns raised in court
Safdar also raised Bushra’s health. He said she appeared deeply concerned when he met her after a gap of 11 months and that her eyes appeared to be badly infected. She had been wearing sunglasses during the meeting and removed them only at his insistence, he said, adding that her condition needed immediate attention from a specialist.
He asked the court to consider granting her bail for a fortnight. On Imran’s health, Safdar said his eyesight had improved somewhat but his blood pressure remained unstable.
Advocate General Malik said Bushra had been given proper medical treatment. Justice Dogar observed that her medical treatment was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court.
What the 190m corruption case is about
The case concerns the Al-Qadir Trust settlement. The National Accountability Bureau alleged that Imran and Bushra obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from a real estate firm in return for legalising Rs50 billion that the United Kingdom had identified and returned to Pakistan during the PTI government. The amount was deposited in the Supreme Court account as part of a settlement with the property tycoon.
The high court had fixed the appeals for hearing on November 10, after listing the matter earlier this month. That hearing has now been put off for 10 days, with the court insisting that the lawyers must first be given access to their clients and the record must be ready.
The access question has dogged the case for months. Bushra has separately approached the high court over her eyesight, seeking treatment and a medical examination. The court has also been dealing with the mechanism for jail visits by Imran’s family and lawyers. Imran’s health has been raised before the Supreme Court as well, after concerns about his blood pressure.
Speaking to the media outside the high court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party had knocked on every court’s door to seek justice. “It feels as though court orders in our favour were written in pencil, while those in others’ favour were written in permanent marker,” he said. Dawn reported the hearing on Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the IHC adjourn the 190m case?
The lawyers had not been given access to their clients.
What did the court order about meetings?
The advocate general must arrange a meeting of at least an hour between Sardar Latif Khan Khosa and Imran Khan.
What are the sentences in the 190m case?
Imran Khan received 14 years and Bushra Bibi seven years on January 17, 2025, in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
What is the Al-Qadir Trust case about?
NAB alleged the couple obtained billions of rupees and land from a real estate firm in return for legalising Rs50 billion returned by the United Kingdom.
What health concerns were raised in court?
Safdar said Bushra Bibi’s eyes appeared badly infected, while Imran Khan’s blood pressure remained unstable.
