- Latif Khosa, Salman Safdar allowed to meet Imran Khan ahead of next hearing.
- PTI lawyer Safdar seeks medical board to examine Bushra Bibi in jail.
- IHC grants defence more time to prepare £190m case appeals.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed that lawyers Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar be allowed to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in Adiala jail, with the attorney general saying the meetings could be arranged if they assured the court that arguments in the appeals would begin at the next hearing.
A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif issued directives while hearing appeals filed by Imran and Bushra against their convictions in the £190 million case.
An accountability court in Islamabad had earlier sentenced the former prime minister to 14 years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs1 million, while the ex-first lady was awarded seven years’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs500,000.
During the hearing today, lawyer Khosa told the court that he had repeatedly sought a meeting with Imran but had not been allowed to meet him.
To this, the IHC chief justice asked how long Khosa wanted the meeting to last. Khosa requested at least an hour, after which the court directed the Islamabad advocate general to arrange his meeting with Imran and Bushra.
Imran’s counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, also requested another meeting, saying his previous meeting with the PTI founder had provided instructions but was insufficient. He told the court that he had met Imran after seven months and Bushra Bibi after 11 months.
Safdar said Imran had told him that his eyesight had improved but his blood pressure remained uncontrolled, warning of a risk of brain haemorrhage.
He also expressed concern over Bushra Bibi’s eyesight, saying her condition is serious and that she told him she is scheduled to undergo another operation on November 15.
Safdar requested a medical board to examine the former first lady and said her treatment could not be properly carried out in jail. The Islamabad advocate general, however, told the court that she was receiving medical treatment and presented records of the facilities provided to her.
The chief justice said health-related matters were pending before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), while Safdar maintained that no matter concerning Bushra was pending there.
During the proceedings, the court also discussed the preparation of paper books for the appeals. Safdar said the documents had not yet been provided to the defence, making it difficult to prepare for arguments.
The IHC CJ granted time for preparation and urged Khosa to begin arguments in the £190m case at the next hearing.
Al-Qadir Trust case
The Al-Qadir Trust case, commonly known as the £190m case, involved allegations that Imran and some others in 2019 adjusted Rs50 billion — amounting to £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government during his tenure as the country’s prime minister.
The concerned amount relates to a property tycoon’s assets, which were seized by the NCA during PTI’s rule. The British crime agency back then had said that the amount was supposed to be passed to the Government of Pakistan as its settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.
However, NAB filed a reference in December 2023, followed by charges against Imran and Bushra on February 27, 2024, alleging that a settlement with the British crime agency was reached and approved by then-prime minister Imran on December 3, 2019, without disclosing details of the confidential agreement.
