ISLAMABAD — The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted a final adjournment to the legal counsel of former prime minister Imran Khan in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption reference. The court issued a strict warning stating that no further delays would be tolerated, and the criminal appeal would be decided entirely on the available record if the defense fails to present arguments at the next hearing.
IHC Gives Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi Final Chance in £190m Case Appeals
The Islamabad High Court gave Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi a final opportunity to argue their appeals against convictions in the £190m case, warning no further delays will be allowed. pic.twitter.com/U4Uu0xiyn8
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Unequivocal Undertaking and Final Opportunity
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif issued the written order after Imran’s lead counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, requested a two-week adjournment. The bench accepted the request only after Khosa gave an absolute undertaking that he would not seek any further extensions on any grounds whatsoever and would argue the merits of the case at the next session. The court made it clear that this constitutes the final opportunity for the defense, noting that if the counsel fails to advance arguments, the bench will proceed to decide the appeal based on the existing record after hearing the respondents’ side. The case has been adjourned until a date to be determined by the registrar’s office.
Background of the Corruption Reference and Convictions
The high-profile case stems from an appeal filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder against his conviction by an accountability court in January 2025. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleges that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, obtained billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from a real estate firm. In exchange, the previous PTI government allegedly legalized a sum of Rs50 billion (£190 million) that had been identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom, which was subsequently deposited into a Supreme Court account. On January 17, 2025, the accountability court sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison, leading both to challenge their convictions before the high court.
