ISLAMABAD:
Former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi have challenged the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order granting a “final opportunity” for arguments in appeals related to the £190 million case.
The petitioners on Monday filed miscellaneous applications in the capital’s high court through Barrister Salman Safdar, objecting to the court’s order and terming it harsh, unjustified, and unfair.
On May 15, the IHC granted a final deadline of May 20 to Safdar to present arguments in the £190 million case appeals, warning against further delays.
In a written order issued by a division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammed Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, the court expressed concern over repeated adjournments and lack of progress in the case.
The bench observed that during the May 7 hearing, all parties had been directed to ensure their presence and proceed with arguments.
Despite this, the court said, the counsel sought adjournment on what it described as weak grounds instead of advancing arguments. The order noted that Safdar himself filed the main appeals, making it imperative for him to proceed without delay.
Emphasizing the sensitivity and importance of the case, the court granted what it termed a “last and final opportunity” to present arguments.
Taking exception to the order, the applications stated that the direction to grant a final deadline for presenting arguments does not align with the facts of the case.
The applications requested the court to direct jail authorities to arrange a meeting between Imran and Bushra with their counsel and to facilitate signatures on vakalatnamapower of attorney.
According to the pleas, no adjournment request was made in the case from March 19, 2025, to April 30, 2026. They added that the first adjournment request was filed on May 7 on genuine grounds.
The applicants contended that both the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi are aggrieved by the court’s April 30 decision and are entitled to challenge it before the Supreme Court.
However, the applications alleged that the jail superintendent has unlawfully denied meetings with counsel for obtaining instructions.
The applications further stated that the jail authorities have also failed to facilitate signatures on vakalatnama required to challenge the April 30 ruling before the Supreme Court. The pleas urged the court to issue directions to jail authorities to arrange meetings and ensure signing of legal documents.
In January last year, an accountability court in Islamabad convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million case, sentencing Imran to 14 years in prison and his wife to a seven-year jail term.
Both the PTI founder and his spouse later challenged the verdict in the IHC.
