Key points

  • The Islamabad High Court ordered that lawyers Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar be allowed to meet Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at Adiala jail, according to Geo News.
  • Barrister Salman Safdar told the court that Imran Khan's blood pressure remains uncontrolled and that Bushra Bibi is scheduled to undergo an eye operation.
  • A division bench urged the defence to begin arguments in the £190 million case during the next hearing.

According to Geo News, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to arrange meetings for defence lawyers with the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and his wife at Adiala jail. The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif during proceedings on appeals against their convictions.

Key Details

Geo News reported that the division bench heard appeals filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi against their sentences in the £190 million case. An accountability court in Islamabad had previously sentenced the former prime minister to 14 years in prison with a Rs1 million fine, while awarding the former first lady seven years' imprisonment and a Rs500,000 fine.

During the court session, lawyer Latif Khosa stated that he had repeatedly sought access to his client without success, prompting the IHC chief justice to direct the Islamabad advocate general to facilitate a meeting of at least an hour. Barrister Salman Safdar informed the court that he had met Imran Khan after seven months and Bushra Bibi after 11 months, describing the previous interactions as insufficient for preparing instructions.

Safdar raised alarming medical concerns before the court, stating according to Geo News that Imran Khan's blood pressure was uncontrolled, carrying a potential risk of a brain haemorrhage, although his eyesight had improved. Regarding Bushra Bibi, Safdar maintained that her condition was serious, her eyesight was failing, and she was scheduled for another operation on November 15. He requested a medical board to examine her, asserting that proper treatment could not be administered within the prison.

In response, the Islamabad advocate general presented records to the court, arguing that Bushra Bibi was receiving necessary medical care in custody. The chief justice noted that health-related matters for the former first lady were pending before the Federal Constitutional Court, a point contested by Safdar, who claimed no such matter concerning her was pending there.

Context And Impact

Geo News reported that the proceedings also addressed logistical hurdles in the appeals process, with Safdar pointing out that paper books and necessary documents had not yet been provided to the defence team. The IHC chief justice granted time for preparation while urging Latif Khosa to commence legal arguments at the subsequent hearing, linked to the attorney general's condition that meetings be contingent upon an assurance to proceed with arguments.

The underlying litigation, commonly referred to as the Al-Qadir Trust or £190m case, centres on allegations that Imran Khan and other figures in 2019 adjusted approximately Rs50 billion—equivalent to £190 million at the time—transmitted by Britain's National Crime Agency to the Pakistani administration during his term as prime minister. The funds pertained to assets of a property tycoon seized by the NCA during the PTI government's tenure.

Summary And What Next

The Islamabad High Court has cleared the way for defence consultations at Adiala jail following assurances regarding the progression of legal arguments. The schedule for the upcoming hearing will determine how swiftly the defence addresses the core convictions in the £190 million case.