ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear petitions filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million corruption case on March 11.
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A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan resumed proceedings on Thursday and expressed displeasure when several lawyers affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) approached the rostrum simultaneously during the hearing.
Questioning the conduct, the chief justice asked whether the lawyers were attempting to influence the court. Imran Khan’s counsel, Barrister Salman Sardar, denied the allegation and argued that the petitions required urgent attention due to the former premier’s reported eye ailment and the prolonged delay in hearing Bushra Bibi’s plea despite her seven-year sentence.
The bench overruled office objections to the suspension petitions and directed the registrar’s office to fix both the suspension pleas and the main criminal appeals for hearing on March 11 before adjourning proceedings.
In a related development, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro removed office objections in petitions seeking suspension of sentences in the Toshakhana 2.0 case and ordered the registrar to formally number the appeals and fix them according to court policy.
An Islamabad accountability court had sentenced the couple to a combined 17 years in prison over the purchase of a Bulgari jewellery set allegedly acquired at a reduced price after being gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit in May 2021.
Imran Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, is currently serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala Jail in the £190m Al-Qadir Trust case and faces additional legal proceedings, including cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots under anti-terrorism laws.
PTI leaders and family members have repeatedly criticised delays in court proceedings, arguing that petitions seeking suspension of sentences should be decided within the timeframe outlined in judicial policy.
The £190m corruption case alleges that the couple received financial benefits and land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for facilitating the legalisation of funds repatriated to Pakistan from the United Kingdom during the PTI government.
