Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have approached Pakistan’s Supreme Court after challenging the Islamabad High Court’s decision that rejected their petitions seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million case. The couple has requested the apex court to overturn the ruling and order their release pending the outcome of their appeals.
In their petitions, the applicants argue that the Islamabad High Court failed to properly consider the legal merits of their request despite declaring the appeals maintainable. They contend that dismissing the plea without adequately reviewing the relevant legal grounds was contrary to the principles of justice.
The petitions also cite health concerns, stating that Imran Khan developed vision-related medical complications while in prison and was transferred outside the jail for treatment. They further claim that both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi continue to face serious health issues that justify the suspension of their sentences.
According to the applications, the couple has endured prolonged solitary confinement, resulting in significant mental distress. The petitions allege that repeated delays in hearing the sentence suspension request prevented timely judicial relief, despite the applicants having previously secured bail during the trial proceedings.
The Supreme Court filing further argues that courts are legally permitted to examine the prima facie merits of a case while deciding sentence suspension requests. It maintains that rejecting the applications without conducting an initial assessment of the available evidence was legally incorrect. The petitions also allege that repeated adjournments sought by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) unnecessarily delayed the appeal process.
The applicants have also challenged the legality of their arrest, claiming that the procedure adopted by authorities was unlawful and politically motivated. The petitions state that a higher court had previously declared their arrest illegal and ordered their release. They further argue that accountability proceedings were used for political purposes rather than impartial legal enforcement.
In their concluding request, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi ask the Supreme Court to declare the Islamabad High Court’s order void, suspend their sentences, and order their release. The petitions also argue that the Supreme Court retains jurisdiction to hear the sentence suspension appeals despite recent amendments to NAB laws regarding constitutional court appeals.
