Court penalises NAB Rs100,000 during £190m case proceedings

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court heard petitions seeking suspension of the sentence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the £190 million case.

The hearing was conducted by Chief Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, while defense lawyers Aitzaz Ahsan and Salman Safdar appeared before the court.

During the proceedings, Aitzaz Ahsan told the court that he had sent a lawyer to obtain a verified power of attorney from Imran Khan, but he was not allowed near Adiala Jail to complete the process. He argued that without the signed power of attorney he could not formally appear in the case.

The chief justice remarked that the jail superintendent usually gets such documents signed when they are sent.

Defense lawyer Salman Safdar requested an early hearing, noting that the last ten days of Ramadan had begun and that the court traditionally shows consideration in such matters. He argued that the appeal for suspension of sentence had been filed after 14 months of imprisonment.

The prosecutor from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the court that a miscellaneous application regarding the admissibility of the suspension plea had been filed and requested time to respond.

The court observed that the NAB special prosecutor was not present during the hearing and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 for the absence. It also issued notices to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi regarding NAB’s miscellaneous application.

Following the proceedings, the court adjourned the hearing, while PTI lawyers sought an early date for the next hearing. After the adjournment, lawyers including Aitzaz Ahsan and Salman Akram Raja, along with Imran Khan’s sisters, approached the chief justice’s secretary’s office to discuss the next hearing date.