Pakistani court to hear Khan and his wife's appeal in Al-Qadir Trust case on June 5

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled a hearing for June 5 (Thursday) on the petition seeking suspension of sentences awarded to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Al-Qadir Trust case, also referred to in local media and public discourse as the £190 million case.

According to the cause list published on the IHC website, the hearing will be presided over by acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who will head a divisional bench also comprising Justice Muhammad Asif.

In a notable development, no legal representative from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted a power of attorney to represent the bureau in the case against the former prime minister and his wife.

Khan and his spouse were convicted on January 17, 2025, in the case and the former received a 14-year prison sentence, while his wife was sentenced to seven years. The couple filed an appeal for suspension of their sentences on January 27.

Hearings on the appeal were scheduled for April 17, April 30, and May 15, with the court sending notices to the respondents at the last hearing and fixing the next date for May 21. However, the May 21 hearing did not take place, and the case remained unscheduled afterward.

On Tuesday, PTI held a protest outside the IHC to express “solidarity with the judiciary” and demand timely hearings of Khan's cases. Among those present were Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, provincial cabinet members, and the speaker and deputy speaker of the KP Assembly. PTI Members of the National Assembly and Senate also joined the demonstration.

During the protest, Gandapur, PTI leader Barrister Gohar, and Khan's sister Aleema Khan met with the secretary of the chief justice of IHC and were assured that the case would be scheduled in the following week.

'Cases are politically motivated'

Speaking to Nukta, Aleema Khan attributed the delay in Khan’s cases to the 26th Constitutional Amendment. She argued that all cases against her brother were “politically motivated” and lacked legal merit. "If there was any wrongdoing, the courts would have promptly scheduled hearings to deny bail. But the delay shows they know Imran Khan is innocent," she said.

PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan also spoke to Nukta, suggesting the impending judicial summer vacation might be causing deliberate delays. “If the hearings aren't scheduled soon, the appeals could be pushed back to September, after the break,” he warned.

PTI leader Khadijah Shah echoed similar concerns. “If there’s pressure on the courts not to hear Khan’s cases, we want to tell them—we stand with you,” she said.

"Speedy justice is the cornerstone of the legal system, but this feels more like political persecution. The judiciary is writing its legacy today, and so is Imran Khan. We know which legacy history will remember."

Meanwhile, an official at the Islamabad High Court, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Nukta that over 17,000 cases are currently pending at the court.

The official explained that sentence suspension appeals are fixed based on their numerical order, with older cases from 2022–2023 currently being prioritized. Appeals filed in 2025, including Khan and Bushra’s, have not yet reached the scheduling stage, according to court protocol.

What is the Al-Qadir Trust case?

The case revolves around £190 million transferred to Pakistan by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Prosecutors allege that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi illegally benefitted from the money through the Al-Qadir Trust.

The funds were part of a confidential settlement between the NCA and a prominent business family. In December 2019, Khan’s cabinet approved the settlement. Investigators claim that, in exchange for facilitating the deal, a large piece of land -- 458 kanals (approximately 22.7 hectares) -- was granted to Khan and Bushra.

Khan, however, denies any wrongdoing. In a written statement, he asserted that the funds were transferred on the account holder’s instructions, not by the government, and dismissed allegations of causing financial loss to the state.

“The funds were part of a legal settlement, and neither I nor my family benefitted from them,” he stated. He also emphasized that no special facilitation was given for transferring the funds to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s account.

Khan further argued that the transaction stemmed from an out-of-court settlement between the business family and the British agency.

The former premier remains imprisoned after being convicted in several corruption cases, which his supporters claim are politically motivated.