ISLAMABAD(The COW News Digital) Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court has rejected a petition seeking the suspension of Bushra Bibi’s sentence in the £190 million case, dealing a setback to the legal efforts of the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The decision was announced by a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan. The court dismissed the application after hearing arguments from Bushra Bibi’s counsel regarding the grounds for suspending her sentence.
During the proceedings, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Bushra Bibi, argued that courts had traditionally adopted a more lenient approach towards women in appropriate circumstances. He also raised objections to the conduct of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during the proceedings.
According to the defence, NAB’s conduct over the preceding 13 months had been questionable, with the prosecution seeking adjournments on several occasions. Safdar further argued that the bureau had opposed the application for suspension of the sentence.
Safdar maintained that Bushra Bibi had become eligible to seek bail following her conviction and argued that her request for suspension of the sentence deserved consideration in view of her status as a woman.
He also submitted that the proceedings had largely focused on the appeal filed by Imran Khan, rather than giving equal attention to Bushra Bibi’s position in the case.
The defence sought judicial relief through the suspension of her sentence while the relevant legal proceedings continued.
However, the bench indicated that it would not examine the merits of the underlying case at this stage, clarifying that the matter before it concerned the suspension of the sentence rather than the full appeal.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan advised the defence against entering into arguments on the merits of the case, stressing the limited scope of the proceedings.
Justice Baqar Najafi also questioned how many times the main appeal had been scheduled for hearing, raising the issue of its progress through the judicial process.
The court subsequently directed Barrister Salman Safdar to submit written points supporting his arguments. The chief justice then instructed the counsel to await the court’s order.
Following consideration of the application, the two-member bench rejected the request to suspend Bushra Bibi’s sentence.
The rejection of the application means that Bushra Bibi has not obtained the requested relief through this petition. The decision, however, concerns the suspension of her sentence and should not be interpreted as a separate ruling on the merits of any pending appeal.
The £190 million case remains a significant legal matter involving Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, attracting considerable political and public attention in Pakistan.
Further developments will depend on the progress of the relevant appeals and any subsequent proceedings before the competent courts.
