The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed contempt of court petitions against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, after finding that the powers of attorney underpinning the petitions had been duly executed. At the same sitting, the court granted the defence a final two-week adjournment to begin arguments in the couple’s appeals against their convictions in the £190 million Al‑Qadir Trust corruption case.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the appeals. The bench recorded that the previously contested powers of attorney — which had prompted the contempt filings — are now in order, rendering the contempt petitions infructuous. With that matter disposed of, the judges directed the defence to commence arguments in the main appeals. Defence counsel, however, sought more time, citing a pending matter before the Supreme Court. After representations from senior lawyers, including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Advocate Latif Khosa, the court acceded to a final two‑week adjournment and cautioned that no further delays would be allowed.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced in January 2025 to 14 and seven years’ imprisonment respectively in the National Accountability Bureau’s £190 million corruption reference. Their appeals against those convictions are now set to be taken up by the IHC once the defence begins its arguments.
In a separate development on Monday, another IHC bench led by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro removed registry objections to petitions alleging the couple’s solitary confinement. The petitions — filed by Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi’s daughter Mubashara Khawar Maneka — claim prolonged isolation and denial of family visits, legal access and basic facilities. The court ordered the petitions to be formally registered and said questions about their maintainability will be decided during judicial proceedings rather than at the registry stage. At the defence’s request, the solitary‑confinement matter was adjourned until Tuesday for further hearing.
Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to the confinement allegations. The cases continue to unfold as the IHC prepares to adjudicate the appeals in the high‑profile Al‑Qadir Trust matter.
