ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered that lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa and Barrister Salman Safdar be given access to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Adiala jail. The attorney general had said the meetings could go ahead provided the defence committed to starting arguments at the next hearing.
A two-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and including Justice Muhammad Asif, was hearing the couple’s appeals against their convictions in the £190 million case. An Islamabad accountability court had previously handed Imran a 14-year prison term and a Rs1 million fine, while Bushra received seven years and a Rs500,000 fine.
Requests for meetings
Khosa told the bench that he had repeatedly asked to see Imran but was never allowed. When the chief justice asked how much time he needed, Khosa said at least an hour. The court then instructed the Islamabad advocate general to organise his meeting with both Imran and Bushra.
Safdar also sought another meeting. He said his earlier visit had given him some instructions but was too short. He noted that he had seen Imran after a gap of seven months and Bushra after 11 months.
Health concerns
Safdar said Imran had reported improved eyesight but uncontrolled blood pressure, which he warned carried a risk of brain haemorrhage. He described Bushra’s eye condition as serious, saying she had told him another operation was scheduled for November 15. He asked the court to set up a medical board for her, arguing that proper treatment was not possible inside the jail.
The Islamabad advocate general replied that she was already receiving medical care and submitted records of the facilities provided. The chief justice observed that health-related matters were pending before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), though Safdar insisted that nothing concerning Bushra was pending there.
Preparation for arguments
The bench also discussed the paper books for the appeals. Safdar said the defence had not yet received the documents, which made preparing arguments difficult. The chief justice allowed time for preparation and asked Khosa to begin arguments at the next hearing.
Background of the case
The Al-Qadir Trust case, widely known as the £190m case, centres on allegations that in 2019 Imran and others adjusted a sum of about Rs50 billion (then roughly £190 million), which Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had sent to the Pakistani government while he was prime minister. The money was linked to the seized assets of a property tycoon. The NCA had said at the time that its settlement with him was a civil matter and not a finding of guilt.
NAB filed its reference in December 2023 and framed charges against Imran and Bushra on February 27, 2024. It alleges that the settlement with the NCA was approved by Imran on December 3, 2019, without the confidential agreement’s details being disclosed.
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