The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned for 10 days the hearing of appeals filed by PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, against their convictions in the £190 million reference, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the appeals. At the same time, the court directed the authorities to arrange meetings between the couple and their legal team at Adiala jail, where both are serving prison sentences.

Court orders lawyers' meeting with Imran Khan

The bench directed the advocate general to arrange a meeting of at least an hour between senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa and Imran Khan. The court also allowed Barrister Salman Safdar to meet Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi before the next hearing.

Khosa told the court that he had repeatedly sought a meeting with the former prime minister but had not been allowed to see him. Chief Justice Dogar observed at the outset of the proceedings that he had allowed the lawyers to meet Imran and Bushra.

Barrister Safdar informed the bench that he had recently been allowed to meet the couple and had received instructions to argue both appeals. He said, however, that the paper books for the appeals had not yet been prepared or provided to the defence, leaving him without the material needed to prepare the cases.

Defence seeks time to prepare arguments

Safdar told the court that he needed time to review the record before arguments could begin. Chief Justice Dogar offered him time to prepare, while NAB prosecutor Rafi Maqsood pointed out that the prosecution had repeatedly been accused of delaying proceedings, but that the defence was now seeking an adjournment itself.

The chief justice also questioned the description of the proceedings as a sensitive case, saying there was no distinction that prevented appeals involving large volumes of documents from being decided. He urged Khosa to begin arguments in the £190m case at the next hearing, after the court granted time for preparation.

The court made the meetings conditional on an assurance that arguments in the appeals would begin at the next hearing. The attorney general told the court the meetings could be arranged if that assurance was given.

Health concerns raised in court

During the hearing, Safdar raised concerns about the health of both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. He said Imran Khan had told him that his eyesight had improved but his blood pressure remained uncontrolled, warning of a risk of brain haemorrhage.

He also expressed concern over Bushra Bibi's eyesight, saying her condition was serious and that she had told him she was scheduled to undergo another operation on November 15.

Chief Justice Dogar observed that the matter relating to Bushra Bibi's medical treatment was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court, while Safdar maintained that no matter concerning Bushra Bibi was pending there.

Background to the £190m case

An accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison with a fine of Rs1 million, and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison with a fine of Rs500,000, on January 17, 2025, in the case.

The £190m case concerns the Al-Qadir Trust settlement, in which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from a real estate firm for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency during the PTI government. The amount was deposited in the Supreme Court account as part of a settlement with the property tycoon.

NAB filed the reference in December 2023, and charges were framed against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on February 27, 2024. The appeals against the convictions were fixed for hearing on November 10 before the division bench led by Chief Justice Dogar.

Speaking to reporters outside the court after the hearing, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party was knocking on every door for justice. The next hearing is expected after the 10-day adjournment, when the defence is to begin its arguments.