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Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi lawyers seek adjournment in £190m case, cite lack of authorization
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Crime & Justice

Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi lawyers seek adjournment in £190m case, cite lack of authorization

From Dawn · (38m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Lawyers for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi requested an adjournment of the May 7 hearing in the £190 million corruption case.
  • They stated they lack authorization to argue the main appeals against their clients' convictions.
  • The lawyers also reported difficulties in meeting their clients at Adiala jail to obtain necessary instructions and powers of attorney.

The legal team representing former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, has formally requested a postponement of the upcoming May 7 hearing concerning the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. This move, communicated through an application filed with the Islamabad High Court (IHC), signals significant procedural hurdles in the defense's preparation.

Barrister Salman Safdar and his colleagues, Salman Akram Raja and Sarmad Muneeb, have asserted that their current mandate is restricted to arguing applications for the suspension of their clients' sentences. They claim they have not yet received formal power of attorney or specific instructions to contest the main appeals against the convictions handed down by an accountability court.

The undersigned expresses inability to proceed further in the absence of proper instructions, formal engagement, and requisite Power(s) of Attorney

— Counsel for Imran Khan and Bushra BibiStating their inability to argue the main appeals without proper authorization and client instructions.

Adding to the complexity, the defense lawyers have highlighted challenges in meeting with their clients, who are incarcerated at Adiala jail. They allege that jail authorities have not facilitated the necessary meetings required to obtain instructions or execute fresh powers of attorney. This inability to confer with their clients directly impedes their ability to adequately prepare for the main appeals.

The development comes shortly after a two-member bench of the IHC rejected the couple's plea for a suspension of their sentence, directing that arguments on the main appeals proceed as scheduled. The convictions, which saw Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years, stem from allegations of receiving billions of rupees and land from Bahria Town Ltd during the PTI government's tenure. The defense's request for adjournment, citing lack of authorization and access to clients, introduces a new layer of legal contention as the case progresses.

The court had declared the suspension applications infructuous and directed arguments on the main appeals for May 7.

— Islamabad High CourtRegarding the rejection of the sentence suspension plea and setting the date for main appeal arguments.
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Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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