The Islamabad High Court delivered a stern rejection to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s urgent pleas to suspend their convictions in the 190 million pounds Al-Qadir Trust scandal. Delivered on Monday, the decision underscores the ongoing legal scrutiny facing Pakistan’s ousted leader, who has been imprisoned for nearly three years.
Presiding over the case, Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar’s bench noted that primary appeals are slated for May 7, dismissing the interim relief applications as premature. Khan, founder of PTI, faces a 14-year term handed down in 2025, while his wife got seven years for their alleged role in laundering massive sums through fraudulent land deals.
Prosecutors allege the pair accepted land worth millions from a property developer in return for routing 50 billion rupees—originally a UK settlement—into the Al-Qadir Trust, ostensibly for educational purposes. This marks yet another chapter in Khan’s cascade of corruption trials, including the Toshakhana gifts case.
PTI has framed the convictions as a vendetta by the establishment, pointing to Khan’s isolation in Adiala Jail, restricted access for lawyers and family, and what they call a blatant disregard for international human rights standards. Wakas Akram, PTI’s information chief, slammed the ‘inhuman’ conditions, suggesting the government aims to sideline Khan’s enduring public support.
Earlier, at a UNHRC session, Qasim Khan portrayed his father’s plight as emblematic of systemic oppression post-2022, citing military tribunals for civilians, journalist abductions, and political detentions. With the appeal looming, the court’s stance signals no quick respite for Khan, fueling speculation on how this will shape PTI’s strategy ahead of uncertain elections and intensifying power struggles.
