ISLAMABAD, June 27 (TNF): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday adjourned proceedings on the petition seeking suspension of sentences awarded to PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million case. The case was heard by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif.
The adjournment came after the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) newly appointed Special Prosecutor, Javed Arshad, requested additional time to prepare, stating that he had been assigned the case just a day earlier.
The petitioners’ legal team — including Barrister Salman Safdar, Niazullah Niazi, Ali Bukhari, and Shoaib Shaheen — appeared before the court, alongside NAB prosecutors Javed Arshad and Rafiq Maqsood. Several PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Faisal Javed, and members of Imran Khan’s family, were also in attendance.
At the start of the hearing, a large group of lawyers and PTI supporters crowded the rostrum. The Chief Justice urged Barrister Safdar to ensure discipline in the courtroom, warning that the case would not proceed without order. The crowd then dispersed and took their seats.
Prosecutor Arshad sought a four-week extension, citing the complexity of the case. Barrister Safdar opposed the request, pointing out that NAB had already assigned a team led by Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, and highlighting that Prosecutor Rafiq Maqsood had declined to argue at the last hearing on June 5. Safdar called for the appeal to be heard promptly and proposed that the case be fixed for Monday, underscoring the need for fairness and transparency.
“If you’ve built a case, then come and play; don’t run from the appeal,” Safdar remarked. Prosecutor Arshad responded, “We’ll definitely play,” while Rafiq Maqsood said the case should be treated like any other, despite the high-profile nature of the 14-year sentence.
The court granted the Special Prosecutor’s request for more time and adjourned the hearing, stating that the next date would be announced through the official court order.
After the proceedings, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan approached court staff and politely requested that the judges be informed of their wait and to share the next date if convenient.
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