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No More Delays: IHC Issues Final Adjournment to Imran Khan’s Counsel in £190m Al-Qadir Trust Appeal
The Islamabad High Court has granted a final adjournment to former PM Imran Khan’s legal team in his appeal against his 14-year prison sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. The division bench, headed by Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, warned that no further delays will be tolerated and the court will decide the case on the existing record if defense arguments are not presented at the next hearing.
ND
by News Desk
2026-07-07
No More Delays: IHC Issues Final Adjournment to Imran Khan’s Counsel in £190m Al-Qadir Trust Appeal

Detailed Report

  • A Striking Final Adjournment: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, issued a strict written warning to the legal team of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, declaring that it has granted the "final opportunity" for his counsel to present arguments in the high-profile £190 million corruption case. The court explicitly cautioned that if the defense fails to advance its arguments at the next session, the court will proceed to decide the criminal appeal entirely on the available record alongside the arguments of the prosecution.

  • Unequivocal Undertaking in Court: A two-judge division bench consisting of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the criminal appeal filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. During Tuesday's proceedings, Imran Khan's senior counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, requested a two-week postponement. The bench accepted the delay only after Khosa provided an absolute, binding undertaking to the court promising that he would not seek any further extensions on any ground whatsoever and would strictly argue the appeal on its merits during the next scheduled hearing.

The Framework of the Al-Qadir Trust Reference:

The case centers on the Al-Qadir Trust settlement, wherein the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleges that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, illicitly secured billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from a prominent real estate tycoon. In exchange, the then-PTI government allegedly legalized a massive sum of £190 million (approximately Rs50 billion) that had been flagged and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA). The returned funds were ultimately funneled into a Supreme Court bank account rather than the state treasury.

  • The Conviction Under Appeal: Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were convicted by an Islamabad accountability court on January 17, 2025. The trial court handed down a 14-year prison sentence to the former prime minister and a 7-year prison term to his wife, alongside hefty financial penalties. Both immediately challenged the convictions, leading to the prolonged appellate battle currently playing out in the high court.

  • Courtroom Attendance: Senior lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Fatehullah Barki appeared to support Imran Khan's defense lineup during the hearing. The state and anti-graft watchdog were robustly represented by Special Prosecutor Javed Arshad, Senior Special Prosecutor Muhammad Rafay, and Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Malik alongside a team of state counsels. Following the written order, the case was adjourned until a date to be formally determined and issued by the IHC registrar’s office
Tagged:

#ImranKhan #AlQadirTrust #IslamabadHighCourt #SarfarazDogar #LatifKhosa #NABPakistan #CorruptionCase #PakistanJudiciary #BreakingNewsPakistan
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