The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has announced that it will hear the appeals of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on March 11, concerning their requests for suspension of sentences in the high-profile £190 million reference case. This decision came after multiple miscellaneous petitions were submitted, urging the court to urgently list the main appeals for hearing. The case has attracted significant public and legal attention due to its political and financial implications.
A division bench of the IHC, led by Chief Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar alongside Justice Azam Khan, presided over the hearing on Thursday. Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Imran Khan, appeared before the court to advocate for the early consideration of their pleas. The former prime minister and his spouse had approached the IHC following their convictions in January 2025, where Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years imprisonment in this case.
During the proceedings, the courtroom became notably crowded as numerous lawyers approached the rostrum, prompting Chief Justice Dogar to intervene and question whether these actions were attempts to unduly influence the court. The bench instructed the legal teams representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to maintain order and remain seated in their designated areas to ensure the hearing proceeded smoothly and without disruption.
Barrister Safdar informed the court that Imran Khan was currently suffering from an eye ailment, which had necessitated hospital treatment. He emphasized that despite repeated efforts over the past year, their pleas for suspension of bail had not been scheduled for hearing by the Registrar’s office. Safdar highlighted that five separate miscellaneous applications had been filed requesting an urgent hearing, but these had remained pending without resolution. He urged the court to expedite the process and ideally schedule the hearing within the holy month of Ramadan, stressing the urgency of the matter.
Responding to these requests, the IHC directed that the bail suspension pleas for both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million reference be formally listed for hearing on March 11. The court also approved their petition for expedited consideration, signaling a willingness to address the matter promptly after a prolonged delay.
Outside the courtroom, Barrister Safdar spoke to the media, clarifying that the hearing focused solely on the PTI founder’s case. He also expressed concerns about the jail superintendent’s alleged negligence and irresponsibility, which he suggested was contributing to delays and complications in the legal process. Safdar reiterated that the adjournment to March 11 was troubling given the lengthy intervals between hearings, which he described as detrimental to justice.
Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, also voiced her distress over the extended postponements, emphasizing the seriousness of her brother’s eye condition. She called attention to the human aspect of the case, urging for timely judicial action. Meanwhile, Uzma Khan appealed to political figures to refrain from politicizing Imran Khan’s health issues, demanding transparency through a public medical report to clarify his condition.
PTI lawyer Advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry added that Thursday’s hearing marked the first time in seven months that the appeals of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been addressed. He noted that the appeal related to the Toshakhana case had been pending for two months but had recently been assigned a regular appeal number, indicating progress in that matter as well.
The £190 million case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, revolves around allegations that during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister in 2019, approximately Rs50 billion (equivalent to £190 million at the time) was improperly adjusted. This sum was transferred by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government and is linked to assets seized from a British property tycoon. The NCA had clarified that the transfer was part of a civil settlement and did not imply any criminal guilt. However, the case has remained a focal point of legal and political scrutiny in Pakistan, reflecting broader concerns about governance and accountability during the PTI administration.
