The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled March 11 for the hearing of appeals filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, seeking to suspend their sentences in the £190 million reference case. This decision follows the submission of miscellaneous petitions requesting an urgent review of their main appeals.

A division bench, led by Chief Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Azam Khan, heard the petitions. Barrister Salman Safdar represented the PTI founder.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had approached the IHC after being sentenced by an Accountability Court judge in January. The former Prime Minister received a 14-year sentence, while Bushra Bibi was sentenced to seven years.

During the hearing, the court addressed a large gathering of lawyers, with the Chief Justice questioning if their presence aimed to influence proceedings and instructing them to take their designated seats.

Barrister Safdar informed the court that Imran Khan was experiencing an eye problem and had been taken to the hospital for treatment. He highlighted that despite repeated requests, the bail suspension pleas had been pending for a year, and the Registrar’s office had not expedited their hearing. He emphasized that five miscellaneous applications had been filed seeking an urgent hearing, ideally within Ramadan and within a week.

The court subsequently approved the plea for expedited consideration and set March 11 for the hearing of the bail suspension appeals in the £190 million reference.

Outside the court, Barrister Safdar mentioned that the hearing today pertained to Imran Khan’s case, noting that necessary power of attorney documents had not yet been received. He also raised concerns regarding the jail superintendent’s alleged negligence.

Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, expressed distress over the prolonged delay in hearings and the serious eye condition her brother was facing.

PTI lawyer Advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry stated that this was the first hearing for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s cases in seven months. He also mentioned that the appeal in the Toshakhana case had been pending for two months and had now been assigned a regular appeal number.

The Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the £190 million case, involves allegations that in 2019, Imran Khan and others facilitated the adjustment of Rs50 billion (equivalent to £190 million at the time), sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government during his premiership. This sum was related to assets seized by the NCA from a property tycoon during the PTI government’s tenure. The NCA had stated that the amount was intended for the Government of Pakistan and that the settlement with the property tycoon was a civil matter, not an admission of guilt.