The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday provided a final opportunity for the legal representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to submit their arguments in the £190 million corruption case. The court directed that all final arguments be presented by May 20.
In a written ruling, Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif emphasized the importance of the presence of all parties and urged them to avoid unnecessary requests for adjournments at the upcoming hearing. The court made it clear that it expects no absences or unwarranted delays.
The ruling also noted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) opposed an adjournment request filed by lawyer Sardar Salman Safdar. It highlighted that during the previous session, all parties had been instructed to be present and proceed with the appeal arguments. Nevertheless, at Friday’s hearing, the counsel instead sought a postponement on what the court described as “weak grounds.”
Furthermore, the court pointed out that the principal appeals had been filed by Salman Safdar himself. Given the case’s sensitivity and significance, the court decided to grant a final chance for the presentation of arguments, instructing Salman Safdar to take necessary steps and appear on May 20.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are currently seeking suspension of their sentences while their central appeals are under consideration. The allegations against them revolve around accusations that the couple acquired land valued in billions of rupees from property tycoon Malik Riaz. This transaction allegedly caused a loss of Rs50 billion (£190 million) to the national treasury.
The funds in question were initially recovered by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and were meant to be transferred to Pakistan’s national treasury. However, it is alleged that these funds were diverted to cover fines imposed on Malik Riaz for purchasing government land below market value.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, as sole trustees of the Al-Qadir Trust, are accused of benefiting from the settlement. This included the acquisition of 458 kanals of land for Al-Qadir University located in Jhelum, which is central to the case.
