ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned for 10 days the hearing of appeals filed by PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, against their convictions in the £190 million reference, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.
An accountability court had sentenced Mr Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife to seven years in the case.
The IHC division bench, headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, also directed the authorities to facilitate meetings between Mr Khan and his legal team.
At the outset of the hearing, Justice Dogar said he had already permitted lawyers to meet the couple. He recalled that on June 29, the court had directed the counsel to proceed with their arguments on the understanding that no adjournment would be sought.
Barrister Salman Safdar said the undertaking had been given by Advocate Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, who should explain his position. He added that he was present to argue the appeals as well as an application seeking medical treatment for Bushra Bibi.
Mr Khosa, however, informed the court that he had been denied access to the PTI founder. Justice Dogar asked the Islamabad advocate general to arrange a meeting between Mr Khosa and Mr Khan within the next couple of days. The advocate general replied that he would comply with the order.
Meanwhile, lawyer and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja informed the court that he had received instructions from Mr Khan.
Barrister Safdar told the bench that he had been denied access to Mr Khan for seven months and to Bushra Bibi for 11 months. He said the IHC had yet to provide the case paper books, adding that the case comprised around 3,500 pages and 35 witness testimonies that required thorough examination before he could present his arguments.
Mr Safdar said his recent 40-minute meeting with his clients had been insufficient for a detailed discussion. He also raised serious concerns about Bushra Bibi’s health, saying her eyes appearedbadly infected and required an immediate specialist evaluation. He said she had worn sunglasses during their meeting and removed them only at his insistence.
Regarding Mr Khan, Mr Safdar said his eyesight had improved but his blood pressure remained dangerously unstable, putting him at risk of a brain haemorrhage.
He sought a fortnight’s bail for Bushra Bibi on statutory medical grounds.
Advocate General Malik opposed the request, maintaining that Bushra Bibi was receiving proper medical care. He argued that convicted individuals did not enjoy the same absolute rights as lawabiding citizens.
Justice Dogar observed that the medical issue was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court. The IHC directed the advocate general to arrange a meeting of at least an hour between Mr Khosa and the PTI founder. It also ordered that the paper books be prepared before the next hearing and adjourned the case for 10 days.
Barrister Safdar informed the bench that he had also been instructed to argue both appeals. The court allowed him to meet Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi before adjourningthe proceedings.
Speaking outside the IHC, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said court orders in favour of his party appeared to be written in pencil and could easily be ignored, while those benefiting others were written in permanent marker.
Contempt plea Meanwhile, Dr Uzma Khan, the PTI founder’s sister, on Tuesday again approached the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of her contempt petition against the federal government over its alleged failure to comply with the court’s order to shift Mr Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment.
The SC office has already turned down two previous requests by Dr Uzma for an early hearing of the petition, which was filed on Aug 22.
In her latest application, Dr Uzma stressed the urgency of the matter, citing media reports that the incarcerated leader’s blood pressure had recently risen to 192 and expressing serious concern about his health.