IHC schedules November 18 hearing on Imran Khan, Bushra appeals in £190m case

IHC schedules November 18 hearing on Imran Khan, Bushra appeals in £190m case

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled November 18 for hearing appeals filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, challenging their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.

A two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will take up the appeals. The court has directed lawyers representing the former prime minister and his wife to present their arguments against the sentences awarded by the trial court.

The hearing marks another stage in the legal proceedings surrounding the high-profile corruption case, in which Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have challenged their convictions and sought relief through the appellate forum.

The defence lawyers are expected to argue against the legal basis of the convictions and seek relief from the high court. The November 18 proceedings will focus on the appeals against the sentences, with the court set to hear arguments from the parties concerned.

Meanwhile, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has already issued a written judgment dismissing Bushra Bibi’s appeal seeking suspension of her sentence in the £190 million case.

Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan authored the three-page judgment, which stated that the court rejected Bushra Bibi’s application for suspension of her sentence.

According to the written decision, Bushra Bibi filed her appeal 61 days after the prescribed deadline. Her legal team had approached the court through a separate miscellaneous application, requesting it to condone the delay and allow the appeal to proceed despite the late filing.

The application sought relaxation of the limitation period, arguing that the delay should not prevent the court from considering her request for relief. However, the Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the plea, citing the 61-day delay in filing the appeal.

The latest development comes as Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi continue their legal challenge against the convictions before the Islamabad High Court. The November 18 hearing is expected to be significant in determining the progress of their appeals and the arguments presented by their legal teams.