IHC Admits Imran, Bushra’s Toshakhana Appeals

IHC Admits Imran, Bushra’s Toshakhana Appeals after removing registrar office objections, setting the stage for a formal hearing on the 14-year sentence.

In a significant development for the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his spouse, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday removed all procedural objections to their appeals against conviction in the Toshakhana-II case, paving the way for a formal hearing .

A divisional bench led by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro heard the appeals filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The court approved two miscellaneous applications—one seeking the removal of objections raised by the Registrar’s Office and another requesting an extension of time to address those concerns . The IHC directed that the appeals be formally numbered and scheduled for a regular hearing .

During the proceedings, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the couple, argued that the registrar’s objections were baseless and raised without their knowledge. He noted that an objection regarding an outdated power of attorney was later withdrawn by the office itself. Other objections included issues with page flagging and document sequencing . Justice Soomro, in a lighthearted exchange, suggested the lawyer could simply flag the pages and granted seven days to remove any remaining technicalities .

The development brings relief to the jailed former prime minister and his wife, who were sentenced to 14 and seven years respectively in the £190 million reference, and 17 years in the Toshakhana-II case involving the retention of state gifts .

In parallel proceedings, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan directed that the couple’s pleas seeking suspension of sentence in the £190 million case be fixed for March 11 . Barrister Safdar informed the court that Imran Khan was suffering from an eye condition with only 15% vision remaining, emphasizing the urgency of a hearing .

News Source: The Express Tribune