Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi’s £190m Case Appeals Set for Nov 18

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled November 18 for hearing appeals filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their convictions in the £190 million corruption case.

A two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will hear the appeals, with the court having already directed the defence lawyers to present their arguments.

The court has also issued a two-page written order from the previous hearing, directing that the paper books containing the relevant case records be prepared within seven days.

According to the written order, the court has instructed that Imran Khan’s lawyers, Salman Safdar and Latif Khosa, be allowed to meet their client to prepare their legal arguments.

The court expressed the expectation that both lawyers would restrict their discussions with Imran Khan to legal matters and refrain from discussing political issues following the meeting.

The order further directed the Advocate General to facilitate the meeting, specifying that its duration should not be less than one hour.

During the previous hearing, Latif Khosa informed the court that he was unable to present arguments because he had not been allowed to meet his client.

Salman Safdar, meanwhile, told the bench that he had received instructions regarding the appeal but that the duration of his meeting with Imran Khan had been insufficient.

Following requests from the defence lawyers, the court granted an additional week to prepare arguments.

The appeals challenge the convictions of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

An accountability court sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to seven years in January 2025.

The case concerns allegations of misuse of authority and financial irregularities linked to funds returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.

Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have denied wrongdoing.

The November 18 hearing will mark the next stage in their legal challenge against the convictions.