PTI Lawyers Seek Early Hearing of Bushra Bibi’s Al-Qadir Trust Appeal

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Senior members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s legal team approached the Federal Constitutional Court on Tuesday seeking an early hearing of former first lady Bushra Bibi’s criminal appeal related to the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.

The delegation was led by PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Salman Safdar, who requested the court office to expedite registration and fixation of the appeal before an appropriate bench.

The court office assured the legal team that the appeal would be numbered within the week and subsequently fixed for hearing.

Advocate Intezar Hussain Panjutha said no fresh written application was submitted on Tuesday. Instead, the lawyers made a verbal request for early registration and fixation of the case.

The latest move follows an urgent application filed by Barrister Salman Safdar on September 17 seeking an expedited hearing of Bushra Bibi’s appeal for suspension of her sentence.

That application cited concerns over her eyesight and argued that continued delays could pose a risk to her health.

Bushra Bibi is serving a seven-year sentence handed down in January 2025 in the Al-Qadir Trust case and remains imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

She and PTI founder Imran Khan had previously approached the Islamabad High Court seeking suspension of their sentences.

Their requests were dismissed by the high court in 2026, after which the matter concerning suspension of Bushra Bibi’s sentence reached the Federal Constitutional Court.

Her legal team maintains that she should receive priority consideration because of her medical condition and because she is a woman in custody.

The September application said Bushra Bibi had developed a serious eye condition during the prolonged legal proceedings.

It stated that she underwent surgery on her right eye at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital on April 16 after experiencing an acute deterioration in her vision.

The application further claimed that subsequent examinations showed signs of a developing condition in her previously unaffected left eye, raising concerns about her remaining eyesight.

Her lawyers have argued that continued delays in deciding the suspension-of-sentence matter could cause further prejudice to her health.

The legal team has also maintained that the role attributed to Bushra Bibi by the prosecution involved aiding and abetting rather than committing the primary acts at the centre of the prosecution case.

Those arguments form part of her legal challenge and have not been accepted as grounds for relief by the FCC at this stage.

Tuesday’s development does not amount to the suspension of Bushra Bibi’s sentence or the granting of bail.

The immediate issue before the court administration concerns the registration and scheduling of her appeal, with the court office indicating that the matter is expected to be numbered within the week.