The defense attorney asks the court for a decision on a suspended sentence before proceeding with an appeal
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s counsel, Salman Safdar, on Thursday requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to summon Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir and the authorities of Shifa International Hospital, along with their complete medical records dealing with their £19 million, during a £19 million judgment case.
At the start of the hearing, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutors Javed Ashraf and Rafi Maqsood appeared in court along with defense attorney Salman Safdar.
Safdar informed the court that he was grateful for the permission granted on April 8 to meet his client, but noted that the case had been delayed on April 9 due to peace negotiations. He also stated that despite requests, he was not allowed to meet Bushra Bibi, adding: “My last meeting with Bushra Bibi was in December 2025.”
Expressing concern about health and conditions of detention, Safdar told the court: “Imran Khan’s vision has been reduced to 15%, with 85% of his vision lost.” He added that the damage to his eye appeared to be permanent.
Safdar questioned the conditions in which his clients were held, stating, “One problem is the eye problem and the other is why they are kept in solitary confinement.” He mentioned that Imran had informed him that he could not see properly from one eye and that the doctors had allegedly told him that the condition was irreversible.
The lawyer pointed out that Imran had been transferred to the hospital several times and that such treatment was not possible in the Adiala jail. “It has now escalated to the point where we are demanding the IG prisons, superintendent and deputy inspector be called,” Safdar said. He also asked the court to order the hospital to produce complete medical records.
Safdar claimed he had reviewed the judgment 17 times and found no mention of solitary confinement. He further stated, “Keeping someone in solitary confinement for an extended period of time is torture.”
He added that Bushra Bibi was also affected in the case, noting: “She was arrested at the time of the judgment.”
IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar asked Safdar why he did not focus on the main appeal. He explained that the court would dismiss the main appeal as soon as possible. The CJ added that complaints were heard regularly and could be disposed of quickly if arguments were scheduled. However, Safdar insisted that the suspension applications should be decided first.
The court also discussed procedural matters, including the availability of power of attorney documents. The CJ noted the flexibility of the hearing schedule, stating that the court could hear appeals within days if arguments were scheduled.
Safdar reiterated his request that the court call the Punjab Prisons IG and the hospital authorities along with the complete medical record.
Read more: Imran Khan gets fourth dose of eye injection: PIMS
In February, it was revealed by a report prepared by Safdar on the direction of the Supreme Court that Imran had informed the officials that his right eye was functioning at only 15% capacity. Safdar submitted the report to a two-member bench. As a result, the SC ordered that Imran be given access to his personal doctors in Adiala prison and that he be allowed telephone contact with his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman.
Since then, Imran has undergone four doses of an intravitreal injection as part of his eye treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. They were sentenced on 20 December 2025 to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which relates to allegations that the couple illegally kept a Bulgari jewelery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190m corruption case. He also faces pending charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
£190 million case
In January last year, an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Imran to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison in the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The IHC is currently considering appeals seeking a stay of these sentences.
The £190m case relates to allegations linked to the Al-Qadir Trust, a charity set up in 2018. The trust, which runs a university outside Islamabad, is accused of being used as a front to receive land worth millions of dollars from a property tycoon.
According to the government, the donations were made in retaliation for the former prime minister’s administration using repatriated funds from the United Kingdom to pay fines on behalf of the businessman instead of paying the amount into the national treasury. Imran has denied the allegations, claiming that neither he nor his wife benefited financially from the trust or related transactions.
In a separate development, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed a case in court against the PTI founder and others in the prohibited funding case.
Officials said the case was filed with Registrar Abdul Wahab of Special Court (Commercial Banking Circle), Islamabad. The registrar’s office forwards the case to the court after completing the investigation process, after which the case will be fixed for regular hearing.
The PTI founder and other accused have been named in the case and face allegations of foreign funding and financial irregularities.
