The Islamabad High Court has rejected petitions filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million corruption case.
The court ruled that the applications had become ineffective since the main appeals against their convictions are already scheduled for hearing on May 7. The decision was issued by a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, who had earlier indicated that the matter should be resolved through an early hearing of the main appeals.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. Bushra Bibi was sentenced to seven years in prison. Both had challenged their convictions after being sentenced by an accountability court in January 2025.
The case revolves around allegations that the couple received significant financial benefits and land from a private real estate firm in exchange for facilitating the legalisation of funds returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during Khan’s tenure in office.
In a related hearing, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir reviewed a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s daughter requesting access to her mother, including permission for a personal physician and a family ملاقات. The court was informed that Bushra Bibi had undergone surgery in mid-April.
The court directed jail authorities at Adiala Jail to decide on the application within two days and provide a reasoned response. The jail superintendent was also summoned to appear in court on May 6.
Separately, the court sought a reply from prison authorities in a contempt case concerning the alleged failure to arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and his legal counsel. The issue relates to a previous court order allowing the former prime minister to meet family members and lawyers twice a week.
The court also issued a notice to Gohar Ali Khan in a separate petition seeking closure of Imran Khan’s account on the social media platform X, citing concerns over alleged inflammatory content.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, has urged party leaders and supporters to gather outside Adiala Jail to demand access to the former prime minister and press for improved medical care. She also called for his transfer to a hospital for proper examination.
The court proceedings in the £190 million case continue amid ongoing legal and political developments, with the upcoming appeal hearing expected to be a key moment in the case.
