Sentence suspension in £190m case: IHC grants 7-day to NAB for appointing special prosecutor in IK, Bushra’s pleas

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted seven days to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for appointing special prosecutor in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi’s appeals seeking suspension of their sentence in £190 million case.

A two-member bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, on Thursday, heard the case and adjourned the hearing until June 11, when the NAB told the court that it needed time to prepare arguments for the case.

During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi argued that the petitions for suspension of the sentence were heard, after much prayers and supplications, adding that today’s date has not been given easily.

NAB Prosecutor Rafay Maqsood appeared before the court and said that his request is that the federal government had to appoint a special prosecutor in this case but he has not been appointed yet.

Rafay prayed the court to grant four week, stating that they had received the notice yesterday. The acting chief justice said for issuing notification for the prosecution team seven days are enough.

Salman Safdar contended that more than 300 cases have been filed against the founder of PTI and the trial court sentenced him. Lawyer Latif Khosa said “the PTI founder is in jail without any evidence; the PTI founder neither will go abroad nor is there any risk of tampering with the record.”

The court directed the NAB prosecution team to notify the special prosecutor within seven days and adjourned the hearing until June 11.

In this matter, founder PTI Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi approached the IHC seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million case.

They moved the court through their counsel Barrister Salman Safdar and cited the state and the chairman NAB as respondents.

Counsel Salman stated in petition that the petitioners were convicted by the Accountability Court (I) Islamabad through judgment dated 17.01.2025, wherein, they were held guilty for commission of offence of corruption and corrupt practices as defined u/s 9(a)(ii)(iv)(vi) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and Imran was sentenced u/s 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 14 years and fine amounting to Rs1,000,000.

Through the instant petition, they sought indulgence of this court for “Suspension” of conviction and sentence awarded to them, till the final disposal of the main appeal already filed in the IHC.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025