IHC rejects Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi’s bail suspension pleas in £190m case

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed petitions filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million corruption case, noting that their main appeals were already scheduled for hearing.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar observed that the primary appeals in the case have been fixed for hearing on May 7, making the suspension applications irrelevant at this stage. The court therefore declared the petitions infructuous.

During an earlier hearing on April 30, the chief justice had remarked that the most appropriate course of action would be the early disposal of the main appeals.

Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 5, 2023, and is currently serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in the £190 million case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. He was previously convicted in January 2025 along with Bushra Bibi, who received a seven-year sentence. Both have challenged their convictions before the IHC.

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The case alleges that the couple benefited from billions of rupees and land transfers linked to Bahria Town Ltd in connection with funds identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the previous PTI government.

In a separate development, the court also heard a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s daughter seeking access to a personal doctor and permission for a family meeting. The court directed jail authorities to decide the application within two days and submit a reasoned order, while summoning the jail superintendent on May 6.

The IHC also dealt with related petitions concerning visitation rights and alleged contempt due to delays in arranging meetings between Imran Khan and his legal counsel. The court was informed that required legal formalities at Adiala Jail had not yet been completed.

Separately, the court issued notice to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan in a petition seeking closure of Imran Khan’s account on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that inflammatory content was being shared through the account.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan urged party leaders to visit Adiala Jail on Tuesday to pressure authorities for better access, medical facilities, and enforcement of court-ordered visitation rights. She also alleged that both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are being held in solitary confinement in violation of legal and human rights standards.

Further hearings in all related matters were adjourned to next week.