Islamabad High Court (IHC) has adjourned the hearing on the sentence suspension petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million case.
The adjournment came after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) special prosecutor requested additional time to prepare.
A two-member bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, heard the case. NAB’s special prosecutor, Javed Arshad, who was appointed just a day earlier, requested four weeks to review the case records.
During the proceedings, Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar addressed PTI's lead counsel Salman Safdar, saying, “Are you trying to put pressure on me by bringing so many lawyers with you?” To this, Salman Safdar responded, “In political cases, this is common. We will maintain decorum. A woman is also convicted in this case, and usually, women’s sentences are suspended. Please allow us to start presenting our arguments on Monday.”
The PTI lawyer further remarked, “If NAB has built a case, let’s play. We are ready.” The NAB prosecutor replied, “We will surely play, but I need four weeks to prepare, as I have never been part of this case before.”
The acting chief justice accepted the NAB prosecutor’s request and announced that the new hearing date would be mentioned in the written court order.
Several key PTI leaders, including the PTI founder’s sisters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Omar Ayub, and Shibli Faraz, were present in the courtroom during the hearing.
