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IHC Intervenes in £190M Reference, Ordering Legal Access to Incarcerated Imran and Bushra Within 7 Days
The Islamabad High Court has ordered the advocate general to ensure that defense lawyers are granted access to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi within seven days to secure signed powers of attorney for their appeals. The order follows statements from Barrister Salman Safdar indicating that Adiala jail officials have blocked access, leaving him without formal instructions to challenge their 2025 convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
ND
by News Desk
2026-06-18
IHC Intervenes in £190M Reference, Ordering Legal Access to Incarcerated Imran and Bushra Within 7 Days

Detailed Report

  • The Judicial Directive: A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday, June 18, 2026, issued a strict order to the Advocate General of Islamabad to arrange a formal meeting between incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his spouse Bushra Bibi, and their legal defense team within seven days. The bench, consisting of IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, issued the directive to break a bureaucratic deadlock preventing the couple from executing necessary legal documentation to challenge their convictions in the high-profile £190 million National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference.

  • Defense Claims Complete Access Blockade: During the court proceedings, Imran Khan’s lead counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, informed the bench that persistent restrictions by Adiala jail authorities had completely cut off his access to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. Safdar revealed that because of the blockade, he lacked a signed vakalatnama (power of attorney) required to prosecute the main appeals. He further noted that his last physical meeting with Bushra Bibi took place in December of last year, arguing that the deliberate denial of access by prison authorities appeared systematically aimed at rendering their legal challenges time-barred.

The Power of Attorney Dilemma: The defense counsel emphasized the severe procedural bottleneck facing the case, stating, "I have no instructions from Imran. He has the right to change his lawyer if he so desires." Safdar clarified to the court that while he had been formally engaged to argue the initial petitions seeking a suspension of the sentences, he possessed no legal authorization to argue the main appeals against the conviction itself without fresh instructions and signed documentation.

  • The Core Corruption Reference: The legal battle stems from a January 17, 2025, verdict by an Islamabad accountability court, which sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison. Popularly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, the NAB reference alleges that during the PTI administration, the couple illicitly obtained billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from real estate conglomerate Bahria Town Ltd. In exchange, the government allegedly facilitated the legalization and settlement of Rs50 billion (£190 million) that had been frozen and repatriated to Pakistan by the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA).

IHC Appellate Case Status & Legal Parameters (June 18, 2026)

Legal & Case Variable Current Status & Documented Court Facts
Appellate Case Forum Division Bench, Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Presiding Judiciary Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar & Justice Muhammad Asif.
Imran Khan Sentence 14 years imprisonment (Incarcerated at Adiala Jail since August 5, 2023).
Bushra Bibi Sentence 7 years imprisonment awarded by the accountability court on Jan 17, 2025.
Core NAB Allegation Illegal land and cash acquisitions from Bahria Town linked to a £190M UK settlement.
Procedural Deficit Defense lacks a signed vakalatnama (power of attorney) due to prison access bans.
Judicial Order Mandate Advocate General must coordinate legal access inside a 7-day window.

Tagged:

#ImranKhan #BushraBibi #IslamabadHigh Court #AlQadirTrustCase #AdialaJail #SalmanSafdar #NABReference #BreakingNewsPakistan
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