ISLAMABAD: The founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his wife Bushra Bibi on Tuesday filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for early hearing of their appeals to suspend their conviction in £190 million case.
A two-member bench of IHC comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif on June 25, 2025 had adjourned the case after the newly-appointed National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s Special Prosecutor Javed Arshad requested for time to prepare the case, stating he was appointed only yesterday and needed at least four weeks due to the case’s volume. He told the court that he had no prior involvement in the case and needed time to study it.
The bench accepting the Special Prosecutor’s request adjourned the hearing, stating that the next date will be mentioned in the court order.
Both Imran and Bushra are currently serving sentences — 14 years for Imran Khan and 7 years for Bushra Bibi. They have filed appeals and requests for the suspension of their sentences.
The early hearing application requested the IHC that an early hearing be fixed without any further delay, as it is a question of “liberty and freedom.”
It was stated that “an application for suspension of sentence was filed but has not been heard in accordance with the Judicial Policy and Court’s routine, depriving the applicant of his constitutional right to a speedy hearing,” referring to an earlier plea that was filed on behalf of Imran against the conviction in the case.
It also stated that there had been no progress in the case during the last hearing, and since the petitioner is a former prime minister, his detention is politically motivated. This delay, the petition argued, poses a risk of injustice and strengthens the case for an urgent hearing.
“The delay undermines justice. A timely hearing ensures fairness, and justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done,” the applications said, adding that swift proceedings are necessary to uphold the rule of law.
The former prime minister and his wife were convicted on January 17 in the case which alleges that the couple obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd to legalise £190 million returned to the country by the United Kingdom during the PTI government.
On January 27, the couple moved the IHC against the decision, asking the court to set aside their conviction, emphasising that the ruling lacked credible evidence and suffered from procedural lapses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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