ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday directed authorities to arrange meetings between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and their lawyers, Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar, at Adiala jail.
The direction came during the hearing of appeals filed by Imran and Bushra against their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the appeals.
During the proceedings, Khosa told the court that he had repeatedly sought permission to meet Imran but had not been allowed to do so.
The chief justice asked how much time he required for the meeting. Khosa requested at least an hour.
The court then directed the Islamabad advocate general to arrange meetings between the lawyers and the incarcerated couple.
Barrister Salman Safdar also sought another meeting with Imran, saying his previous consultation had provided some instructions but was insufficient for preparing the appeals. He told the court that he had met Imran after seven months and Bushra after 11 months.
Safdar also raised concerns about the couple's health. He said Imran had told him that his eyesight had improved but his blood pressure remained uncontrolled, warning of a possible risk of brain haemorrhage.
Regarding Bushra, Safdar said her eyesight was in serious condition and that she had informed him she was scheduled to undergo another operation on Nov. 15. He requested the formation of a medical board to examine her, arguing that her treatment could not be properly provided in jail.
The Islamabad advocate general, however, told the court that Bushra was receiving medical treatment and presented records of the facilities provided to her.
The chief justice observed that health-related matters were pending before the Federal Constitutional Court. Safdar maintained that no matter concerning Bushra was pending before the court.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan said the meetings could be arranged if the lawyers assured the court that they would begin arguments in the appeals at the next hearing.
The bench also discussed the preparation of paper books for the appeals. Safdar said the defence had not yet received the required documents, making it difficult to prepare arguments.
The chief justice granted the defence time to prepare and urged Khosa to begin arguments at the next hearing.
An accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced Imran to 14 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs1 million in the case. Bushra was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs500,000.
What is the £190 million case?
The Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the £190 million case, concerns allegations that Imran and others misused funds returned to Pakistan by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2019.
The amount, equivalent to around Rs50 billion at the time, was linked to assets seized by the British agency from a Pakistani property tycoon. The NCA said the settlement was a civil matter and did not constitute a finding of guilt.
Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau filed a reference in December 2023. Charges were subsequently framed against Imran and Bushra on Feb. 27, 2024.
The prosecution alleged that the settlement with the NCA was approved by Imran on Dec. 3, 2019, without disclosure of details of the confidential agreement.
