IHC rejects Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi's pleas to suspend sentences in £190M graft case

Pakistan's Islamabad High Court has rejected applications by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

A two-member bench fixed their main appeals for hearing on May 7.

Why did the IHC reject the sentence suspension pleas?

The court held that suspension of sentence is not warranted when the main appeal is ready for hearing.

Citing multiple Supreme Court judgments, the bench ruled that both sides should instead come prepared to argue the main appeals. The court directed the hearing to proceed on May 7 without further delay.

What sentences are Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi serving?

Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment and a PKR 10 million fine. Bushra Bibi received a seven-year sentence and a PKR 5 million fine.

An accountability court handed down both convictions on Jan. 17, 2025, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

In detailed written orders issued Monday, the two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, along with Justice Muhammad Asif, disposed of the couple's applications under Section 426 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The orders follow a contested hearing last Thursday in which the bench debated whether to decide the suspension applications first or proceed directly to the main appeals.

What health concerns did the defense raise in court?

Barrister Salman Safdar, counsel for the couple, urged the court to decide the suspension pleas first, citing serious health and prison conditions. He told the bench that Imran Khan has lost 85% of his eyesight, with no improvement despite repeated hospital visits.

He also said both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are being held in prolonged solitary confinement, 22 and 24 hours a day respectively, which he described as torture.

Senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa also represented the defense during the hearing. Chief Justice Dogar remarked that the court was prepared to hear the appeals on their merits and questioned why detailed arguments were not being presented immediately.

Where will the case go if the IHC dismisses the main appeals?

Under recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance, appeals in NAB cases decided by the High Court will now be heard by the Federal Constitutional Court rather than the Supreme Court.

If the Islamabad High Court dismisses the couple's main appeals after the May 7 hearing, the matter will proceed directly to the Federal Constitutional Court.