FCC rejects Bushra Bibi’s plea to suspend 7-year sentence in Al-Qadir case

She had approached the FCC in July, arguing that her sentence should be suspended because she was a woman with a serious medical condition

Web Desk

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14 Oct 2026

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday dismissed an appeal filed by Bushra Bibi, wife of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, seeking suspension of her seven-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi reserved its ruling earlier in the day after hearing arguments from senior counsel Salman Safdar, who represents Bushra. The court said it would issue a detailed order explaining the dismissal later.

Bushra had approached the FCC in July, arguing that her sentence should be suspended because she was a woman with a serious medical condition. Her counsel subsequently sought an early hearing, citing concerns that a deteriorating eye condition could threaten her remaining eyesight.

On Sept 17, Safdar filed an application seeking an early hearing of the appeal. Earlier this month, senior members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s legal team also approached the court for an early hearing, but no fresh application was submitted at the time; the request was made verbally.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Safdar argued that courts had traditionally taken a lenient approach towards women. He also criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying its conduct over the preceding 13 months had been objectionable because it repeatedly sought adjournments and opposed the plea for suspension of the sentence.

The counsel argued that Bushra’s conviction provided a legal basis for granting her bail.

Chief Justice Aminuddin, however, advised Safdar not to argue the merits of the case at this stage, saying the matter before the court concerned only the suspension of the sentence.

The criminal appeal was filed under Section 32-A of the National Accountability Ordinance read with Article 175F(1)(a) of the Constitution. It also alleged that Adiala jail authorities had failed to comply with Islamabad High Court directions to facilitate Bushra’s meetings with her counsel.