Islamabad, Pakistan, the Islamabad High Court ordered meetings between Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and their legal counsel within seven days as the £190m corruption case appeals moved forward Thursday.
A division bench comprising Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif issued the direction during appeals against convictions in a National Accountability Bureau reference.
Barrister Salman Safdar told the court he had been unable to meet Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail despite repeated attempts. He said he could not obtain instructions or secure a signed vakalatnama needed to pursue the appeals.
Safdar said his last meeting with Bushra Bibi took place in December last year. He added that prison authorities later declined further access requests.
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Chief Justice Dogar observed that the Advocate General of Islamabad was responsible for ensuring lawyers could meet jailed clients when required for court proceedings.
The bench directed the Advocate General of Islamabad to ensure the meetings are held within seven days. The court said legal formalities, including the signing of the vakalatnama and obtaining instructions, should then be completed.
The court deferred further proceedings until after the meetings take place and the required authorisation documents are signed.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 5, 2023, and is serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala jail in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. An accountability court sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on January 17, 2025, to 14 and seven years in prison, respectively.
