ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by former first lady Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of her seven-year prison sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi announced the decision after reserving its ruling earlier in the day. The court had directed her counsel, Salman Safdar, to submit written arguments before the order was issued. A detailed order is expected later.
During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar argued that courts had traditionally taken a lenient view in cases involving women. He also criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying its conduct over the past 13 months had been objectionable as it repeatedly sought adjournments and opposed the plea for suspension of the sentence.
The counsel maintained that legal grounds for granting relief had emerged following Bushra Bibi’s conviction. He said the proceedings had largely focused on the appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, adding that his client was seeking relief primarily on the basis of her status as a woman.
Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan observed that the court was dealing only with the question of suspension of the sentence and advised the counsel against discussing the merits of the main case. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi also asked how many times the main appeal had been fixed for hearing.
An accountability court sentenced Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on January 17, 2025. Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment and fined Rs1 million in the same case.
The case concerns allegations surrounding the settlement of funds recovered by Britain’s National Crime Agency and the Al-Qadir Trust. The case centres on claims that the settlement caused a loss to Pakistan’s national exchequer, allegations contested by the accused.
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Bushra Bibi approached the FCC in July, seeking suspension of her sentence on medical and legal grounds. Her petition cited an eye ailment for which she underwent surgery while in custody, as well as provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure relating to women.
Earlier pleas seeking similar relief had been dismissed by the Islamabad High Court.
