ISLAMABAD – Sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan staged a sit-in outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, demanding a new hearing date in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Speaking to the media, Aleema Khan said the protest would continue until a fresh date for the case hearing is announced. “We will not leave until a new date is given,” she asserted.
Aleema Khan alleged that Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are being kept in solitary confinement, raising concerns about the former prime minister’s health, particularly an issue related to his eyesight. She questioned the delay in court proceedings, stating, “If the court is not being held, where will we get justice from?”
She further claimed that they were informed Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar was occupied with official engagements, including meetings and a dinner for a visiting Turkish delegation, leading to delays in fixing the hearing date. “What kind of justice system is this? We are being deprived of justice,” she remarked.
Background of the Case
Last month, the Islamabad High Court had allowed Barrister Salman Safdar, counsel for Imran Khan, to meet his client at Adiala Jail in connection with the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, had also declared petitions filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences admissible for hearing.
During the hearing, Barrister Safdar requested the court to grant him permission to meet the former prime minister. He said that it was the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) objective to prolong his client’s imprisonment.
Barrister Safdar said that the NAB’s attitude towards the PTI founder was not professional, but personal. “My client was arrested in connection with the case on May 9. The Supreme Court later acquitted him,” he said, adding that Imran had lost vision in his right eye.
NAB’s Position
Speaking on the occasion, the NAB’s prosecutor said it was Barrister Safdar’s claim that the case could be wound up in 10 minutes. “If that is the case, then what is stopping him from giving arguments in the case?” he questioned.
The chief justice said the court did not accept NAB’s plea in which it had argued that the petitions submitted by the couple, seeking suspension of their sentences, were inadmissible for the hearing. “The court declares these petitions admissible for the hearing,” the CJ remarked.
The Al-Qadir Trust Case
The £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case involves allegations that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi acquired land for a university trust in exchange for £190 million that was returned to the UK government as part of a settlement. The couple has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the funds were legitimate and that they acted in accordance with the law.
Imran Khan was convicted and sentenced in the case, though the IHC later suspended his sentence. The case remains pending before the court, with hearings repeatedly adjourned.
Health Concerns
Aleema Khan’s reference to Imran Khan’s eyesight issues highlights concerns that have been raised previously about the former prime minister’s health while in detention. Imran Khan has reportedly been diagnosed with “right central retinal vein occlusion,” and his legal team has argued that necessary treatment is unavailable within Adiala Jail.
The claim that Imran and Bushra are being kept in solitary confinement, if true, would raise additional concerns about their conditions of detention. Prison regulations typically allow for limited solitary confinement for security reasons, but prolonged isolation can have severe psychological effects.
Political Context
The sit-in outside the IHC comes amid heightened political tensions in Pakistan. Imran Khan has been in detention since August 2023, and his party has been demanding his release. The PTI has also been pressing for early elections, which the government has ruled out.
The Al-Qadir Trust case is one of several legal cases against Imran Khan. While he has been convicted in some cases, the Supreme Court has also acquitted him in others. The PTI claims that the cases are politically motivated, a charge the government denies.
Analysis: A Family’s Desperation
The sit-in by Imran Khan’s sisters outside the IHC reflects the family’s desperation as the former prime minister remains in detention with no clear end in sight. The repeated adjournments of the Al-Qadir Trust case have frustrated both the PTI and Imran’s family, who argue that the delays are intentional.
Aleema Khan’s claim that Chief Justice Dogar’s official engagements, including a dinner for a visiting Turkish delegation, have delayed the fixing of a hearing date raises questions about judicial priorities. While it is not unusual for chief justices to have official engagements, the family’s perception that these engagements are taking precedence over hearing their brother’s case reflects the lack of trust in the judicial process.
The health concerns raised by Aleema Khan are significant. If Imran Khan’s eyesight is deteriorating while in detention, and if necessary treatment is unavailable, the state may face legal and moral obligations to ensure he receives adequate medical care.
For the PTI, the sit-in is a reminder of the human cost of Imran Khan’s detention. For the government, it is a test of how it handles protests by family members of high-profile political prisoners. For the judiciary, it is a challenge to ensure that cases are heard without unnecessary delay.
As Aleema Khan and other PTI supporters continue their sit-in outside the IHC, the focus will be on whether the court fixes a new hearing date for the Al-Qadir Trust case. For Imran Khan, who remains in Adiala Jail, the delay means continued uncertainty. For his family, it means continued struggle for his release.
