ISLAMABAD – Islamabad High Court on Monday adjourned appeals filed by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their convictions after their legal team raised serious objections over access to the incarcerated couple.
Barrister Salman Safdar sought adjournment before two-member IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, arguing that the defence had been unable to obtain the necessary legal instructions from its clients.
The defence’s application alleged that, despite clear judicial orders, the required meetings with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were not being facilitated. Safdar told the court that although he had managed to meet Imran Khan following the bench’s directions, the situation concerning Bushra Bibi was markedly different.
According to the lawyer, his last meeting with Bushra Bibi took place in December 2025, and no meeting had been arranged with her for the following 10 months. “I request that one meeting with my client be arranged,” Safdar told the court, according to the proceedings reported on Monday.
The defence maintains that without direct consultation with the accused, it cannot effectively conduct the appeals or obtain the instructions required for further legal proceedings.
The legal team also pointed to the detention of Imran Khan’s three sisters, arguing that their custody has further complicated efforts to obtain legal guidance or instructions. The defence maintained that access to the accused and their authorised representatives is essential for the proper prosecution of the appeals.
In June, IHC directed authorities to facilitate meetings between Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and their legal counsel so that instructions could be obtained and necessary power-of-attorney documents could be completed. But the defence’s most significant argument concerns proceedings before the newly established Federal Constitutional Court.
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Bushra Bibi had separately approached the Federal Constitutional Court seeking an early hearing of her plea concerning suspension of her seven-year sentence.
The case is £190 million returned to Pakistan by UK and the alleged benefits received by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust matter.
An accountability court convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on January 17, 2025, sentencing Imran to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison. Both subsequently challenged their convictions before the Islamabad High Court.
IHC had scheduled the appeals for October 5 and sought final arguments from the defence before Monday’s proceedings were derailed by the adjournment request.
