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The Islamabad High Court is set to hear the appeals of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi today against their conviction in the 190 million pounds graft case.
According to Geo News, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will take up the pleas on Thursday. The couple had approached the high court after being sentenced by an accountability court earlier this year. In January 2025, Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana handed Imran Khan a 14-year prison sentence, while Bushra Bibi was awarded a seven-year term in the Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the 190 million pounds case. Earlier in March, the Islamabad High Court imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), special prosecutor, for employing delaying tactics during proceedings related to the case, signalling the court's concern over prolonged litigation. Separately, a banking court in Islamabad has also fixed the hearing of a prohibited funding case against the PTI founder for today. Authorities have submitted a charge sheet naming Imran Khan as the prime accused along with several others. Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, faces multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism following his removal from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. The Al-Qadir Trust case pertains to allegations that Khan and his associates in 2019 adjusted Rs 50 billion, equivalent to 190 million pounds at the time, which had been returned to Pakistan by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA). The amount was linked to assets of a property tycoon seized abroad. The NAB filed a reference in December 2023, accusing Khan of approving a confidential settlement with the British agency without disclosing its details. Charges were formally framed against him and Bushra Bibi in February 2024. Notably, the former Prime Minister's sister Aleema Khan on Tuesday raised concerns over his deteriorating health, urging authorities to shift the incarcerated former premier to a private hospital for better medical care. According to ARY News, Aleema Khan said her brother's condition was worsening "day by day" and called for his immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital in the presence of family members. She warned that after complications in one eye, there was now a risk of the second eye also being affected. Aleema alleged that the initial improvement seen after an injection had reversed and accused jail authorities of spreading "misleading information" about his health condition. She described the situation as critical and emphasised the need for transparent medical supervision. (ANI)
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