What happened
The Islamabad High Court on Friday, 27 March 2026, fixed 31 March for hearing the petitions filed by former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. According to the cause list issued by the IHC registrar’s office, a division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif will take up the pleas seeking suspension of their sentences, Dawn and Pakistan Today reported.
An accountability court had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison on 17 January 2025 in the case. Both challenged the conviction before the IHC later that month.
Why it matters
The hearing is the latest step in a case that has tested the pace of the appeals process. At the previous hearing on 11 March, the IHC expressed displeasure over delays it attributed to the National Accountability Bureau and imposed a Rs100,000 fine on the bureau for what the court called “delaying tactics”, though the subsequent written order did not record the fine and instead directed NAB to appear fully prepared next time.
The appeals had earlier been held up by procedural objections from the registrar’s office, including unsigned documents and missing certifications, which were later resolved. Defence lawyers have pressed for an early decision, citing Imran Khan’s medical condition.
Separately, the Supreme Court is also due on 31 March to resume hearing Imran Khan’s appeals in a Rs10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, and including Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will take up the matter, Pakistan Today reported.
What is still uncertain
It is unclear whether the division bench will hear the suspension pleas on 31 March or fold them into the main appeals, a procedural question that could affect how quickly a decision is reached. The defamation case remains distinct from separate Supreme Court proceedings in which another bench, headed by Justice Ayesha Malik, had stayed trial-court proceedings in the same suit.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-03-28.
- Dawn — IHC to hear Imran, Bushra's pleas seeking suspension of sentences in £190m graft case on March 31Published 27 March 2026 · Reports the cause list, the division bench and the NAB delay fine.
- Pakistan Today — IHC fixes March 31 hearing on Imran, Bushra Bibi appeals in £190m Al-Qadir CasePublished 27 March 2026 · Reports the sentence details and the parallel Supreme Court defamation appeal.
