IHC orders Imran, Bushra's meeting with lawyers within 7 days

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the advocate general Islamabad to arrange meetings between former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and their lawyers within seven days to enable them to file and pursue appeals in the £190 million reference.

Led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, a division bench took up the appeals against their conviction in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case.

During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar told the court that despite repeated attempts, he had been unable to meet Imran Khan at Adiala jail and could not obtain instructions or a signed power of attorney to pursue the appeals.

He said prison authorities had also denied him access to Bushra Bibi since December last year.
Safdar argued that without instructions from his clients, he could not effectively proceed with the case, adding that NAB had already filed an application saying the sentence suspension petitions had become ineffective after the main appeals were fixed for hearing.

Chief Justice Dogar questioned why the advocate general was absent and remarked that ensuring lawyers’ access to jailed clients was the responsibility of the state.

Expressing concern, the court said denial of legal access could affect the administration of justice and directed authorities to arrange the meetings within a week.

The hearing was adjourned until the meetings take place and legal formalities are completed.