The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the appeals filed by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, against their convictions in the £190 million corruption case on November 10, Dawn reported.
What the court decided
A division bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will hear the appeals. The court gave the couple’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, a final opportunity to begin his arguments, according to Dawn.
Safdar had earlier objected that he lacked access to his jailed clients and could not proceed with the appeals without it. Dawn reported that the objection is no longer relevant after he met the couple. As we reported, he met Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at Adiala jail for 40 minutes on Monday, his first meeting with Imran in seven months and with Bushra in 11 months.
A history of warnings about delay
This is not the first time the court has told the defence to start. In July, when it granted a final adjournment to the counsel in the same case, it warned that no further delay would be tolerated and that the appeals would be decided on the basis of the available record, Dawn said. The hearing on November 10 will show whether arguments finally begin.
What the case is about
The £190 million case concerns the Al-Qadir Trust settlement. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleged that Imran Khan and his wife obtained billions of rupees and land through the arrangement. An accountability court sentenced Imran to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to seven years in January 2025, and both are held at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. Imran has been in jail since August 5, 2023, when he was sentenced to three years in the Toshakhana case, and he faces other trials, including over the May 9, 2023 riots. The PTI says all the cases against its founder are politically motivated.
What we know and what we don’t
- Known: the IHC has fixed November 10 for the appeals and given Safdar a final chance to start.
- Known: the bench is Chief Justice Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif.
- Unknown: how many hearings the appeals will need once arguments begin, and whether the court will hear them day by day.
- Unknown: whether the defence will ask for more time, since Dawn’s report did not mention any such request.
Why it matters
The appeals are central to the political fight over Imran Khan’s future, and to whether he and Bushra Bibi remain in prison. A hearing in which arguments finally begin would be the first step towards a decision, after months in which the case moved slowly. Access to the couple has been a main demand of the PTI; as we reported, the court has allowed meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays but they have been largely restricted in recent months, and the party keeps asking for access. What to watch on November 10 is whether Safdar opens his arguments, whether the bench sets a timetable, and whether either side asks for another adjournment.
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