Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has yet to constitute a new bench to hear the appeals filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi against their convictions in the Toshakhana II case, following the transfer of the matter from the bench of Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro.
According to judicial sources, Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar has not yet assigned the appeals to a new bench.
Meanwhile, the IHC has issued a detailed written order regarding the March 12 hearing on objections raised by the Registrar’s Office against the appeals.
In its order, the court accepted the applications seeking condonation of delay in filing the appeals, observing that the explanation provided by the appellants’ counsel was satisfactory. The court also removed the Registrar Office’s objections and directed that the appeals be formally numbered and processed.
According to the written order, counsel argued that the appeals had been filed within the statutory 30-day period on December 29, 2025, after the trial court sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 10 years’ imprisonment each, along with fines, on December 20, 2025.
The lawyer further contended that submitting a fresh power of attorney for trial counsel in the High Court was not a mandatory legal requirement. He stated that repeated attempts were made to obtain signatures on a new vakalatnama from the jailed appellants, but the prison administration did not facilitate the process.
The court noted that the remaining objections were merely technical and ruled that appeals could not be rejected solely on procedural grounds. It observed that once an appeal is filed, the Registrar’s Office is required to place it before the court with any objections, while only the court has the authority to determine their legal validity.
The IHC emphasized that an appeal is a continuation of the trial process and a statutory legal right, involving a fresh examination of evidence. It ruled that no litigant should be deprived of this right due to technical objections and stated that the appeals would be decided strictly on merit after hearing all parties.
