The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday announced that it will hear the petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi challenging their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case on March 31.
Read More: IHC puts off Al–Qadir Trust case hearing until June 11
According to the cause list released by the IHC registrar’s office, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will preside over the hearing. The petitions seek suspension of the prison sentences handed down to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi by an accountability court in Islamabad.
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On January 17, 2025, the accountability court sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to seven years for corruption charges linked to the Al-Qadir Trust, a high-profile graft case. The couple’s defence team has urged the IHC to expedite proceedings and deliver a verdict before the upcoming Eid holidays.
At the last hearing on March 11, the IHC had fined the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rs100,000 for employing “delaying tactics” in the case, although the subsequent written order did not formally include the fine. The court instructed NAB to come fully prepared for the next hearing while the defence pushed for a swift resolution, citing Imran Khan’s deteriorating eye condition.
The petitions had faced procedural hurdles, including objections from the IHC registrar’s office over unsigned pages and missing certificates confirming that the cases were not pending in other courts. These objections were cleared on February 26, allowing the case to proceed.
Read More: IHC admits Imran plea in £190m case
As the March 31 hearing approaches, legal observers expect the court to review both the appeals against the convictions and the suspension requests, marking a critical juncture in one of Pakistan’s most closely watched political corruption cases.