Imran, Bushra move IHC for expedited hearing of sentence suspension pleas in £190m case
Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have filed an application with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting an expedited hearing for their pleas to suspend their convictions in the £190 million case.
Earlier in January, Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted in the £190 million case. Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Bushra Bibi received a seven-year jail term.
Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the order in a courtroom inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.
In addition to the prison sentences, the court imposed fines of Rs1 million on Imran and Rs500,000 on Bushra. If the fines are not paid, Imran Khan will serve an additional six months in prison, and Bushra Bibi will face an extra three months.
The verdict also declared that the property of the "sham trust," Al-Qadir University Project Trust, is to be forfeited to the Federal Government in accordance with Section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
According to documents available to Express Tribune, the petitions were filed through Barrister Salman Safdar on Tuesday, urging the court to schedule a hearing 'without any further delay, as the petitions involve the fundamental issues of liberty and freedom."
Read More: Imran, Bushra convicted in £190m case
The petition further highlights that the announcement of the judgment has been delayed three times, raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of the judicial process.
The petition states, 'The appeal against the conviction was duly filed on 27.01.2025. However, the Registrar's Office raised objections, which were later removed, causing unnecessary delays.'
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi expressed concerns over repeated delays caused by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which has sought adjournments in the case. Despite assurances from the court, the suspension of sentences has not yet been reviewed.
'NAB has repeatedly sought adjournments on the pretext of engaging special prosecutors in this matter,' the petition says.
The petition points out that the case had already been scheduled for hearings four times. However, despite assurances to the counsel that a short adjournment would be given and a proper date would be set to decide the suspension petitions, no date has been provided yet.
Also Read: Imran, wife move IHC for bail in £190m case
It further notes that the Special Prosecutor appeared at the next hearing but again sought additional time. 'The applicant is facing repeated prosecutions, and in two cases, he has already been acquitted, while in the Toshakhana case, this Honourable Court suspended his sentence with the consent of the prosecutor,' the petition adds.
The plea argues that, given the urgency of the matter and the nature of the relief sought, there should be no legal or procedural barriers preventing the scheduling of the application for sentence suspension. This application directly concerns the fundamental right to liberty, guaranteed under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
The petition further states that the right to be treated according to the law is a fundamental right under Article 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which is being denied to the applicants due to unjust delays. Liberty, guaranteed under Article 9, is also being violated as the request for sentence suspension continues to be unduly delayed. Despite judicial policy prioritising bail and suspension applications, the applicants' case is being deprioritised without legal justification.
What is the £190 million case?
The case alleges that Imran Khan and others involved adjusted Rs50 billion—equivalent to £190 million at the time—that was transferred by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government.
As PM, Imran Khan obtained cabinet approval for this settlement on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the confidential details of the agreement. The arrangement had stipulated that the funds would be submitted to the Supreme Court.
Also Read: Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi indicted in Toshakhana 2.0 case
According to NAB officials, Imran and his wife received land worth billions of rupees intended for the construction of an educational institute.
NAB filed the reference on December 1, 2023 against eight accused persons including Imran and his wife. The court on January 6, 2024 declared the rest of six accused proclaimed offenders as they did not face the trial and escaped to foreign countries. The court indicted Imran and Bushra on February 27, 2024. The prosecution presented 35 witnesses, whom the defense later cross-examined.
Key witnesses in the case included PM's former principal secretary Azam Khan, former defense minister Pervez Khattak and former federal minister Zubaida Jalal.
Three different judges presided over the case at various stages of the trial while the final investigative officer, Mian Umar Nadeem, was cross-examined after 38 hearings.
The accountability court provided the accused 15 opportunities to complete their statements under Section 342. However, no witnesses were presented by the defence.
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