Bushra Bibi, wife of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, moved an urgent application before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday to seek early hearing for her plea to suspend a seven-year sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Bibi was convicted along with Khan and is currently imprisoned at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, facing serious health issues that include a deteriorating ocular condition which she claims threatens her remaining eyesight. Her legal team argues that due to her medical condition and gender, she should receive priority under Section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, moved an urgent application before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in Islamabad on Thursday. She is seeking an early hearing for her appeal to suspend her seven-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, where she was found guilty of aiding property tycoon Malik Riaz by retrieving laundered money from the UK.
Bushra Bibi had previously sought suspension of her sentence from both the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Supreme Court. The IHC dismissed her request in May 2026, citing that her appeal against conviction was already scheduled for hearing, while the Supreme Court returned her petition as not maintainable under Section 32 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).
Currently imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, Bushra Bibi's case is significant due to its connection with high-profile political figures and allegations involving financial impropriety.
Written for “Al Qadir Trust Case Appeal” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Bushra Bibi, the spouse of incarcerated former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, on Thursday moved an urgent application before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), seeking an early hearing of her appeal for the suspension of her sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
asserted
Bibi → incarcerate → case
The former first lady was handed a a seven-year sentence in the case in January last year, and is currently imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
asserted
lady → hand → jail
In the case, the court found Imran and Bushra guilty of giving undue favours to property tycoon Malik Riaz in retrieving his laundered money from the United Kingdom.
asserted
Imran → find → Kingdom
Bushra, along with Imran, had initially moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the suspension of her sentence in April last year.
asserted
Bushra → move → April
But the high court dismissed her request in May 2026, observing that her appeals against her conviction had already been fixed for hearing.
uncertain
appeals → dismiss → hearing
Subsequently, the she approached the Supreme Court against the decision, but the SC office returned the petition as being not maintainable, explaining that since the IHC had passed the impugned order while exercising jurisdiction under Section 32 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, the remedy lay exclusively before the FCC under Section 32-A of the ordinance.
asserted
remedy → approach → ordinance
Bushra then moved the FCC on July 30, with her criminal appeal contending that the appellant, being a woman with a serious medical condition, was entitled to the suspension of her sentence, as similar relief was contemplated under the first proviso to Section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
asserted
relief → move → Procedure
Her fresh application for the appeal’s early hearing, filed through her counsel Barrister Salman Safdar, also stated that rapidly deteriorating ocular condition threatened her remaining eyesight.
asserted
condition → file → eyesight
The application contended that the role attributed to the applicant by the prosecution in the corruption case was confined to aiding and abetting and not committing a primary or substantive act constituting the gravamen of the offence.
asserted
role → contend → offence
It said that the applicant was a 54-year-old woman, and that it was a settled practice, consistent with the spirit of the first proviso to Section 497(1), CrPC that female litigants, particularly those in custody, were entertained and heard on a priority basis by the courts.
asserted
litigants → say → courts
Bushra argued in the application that she had already suffered “grave and irreversible prejudice” on account of prolonged pendency of her sentence suspension appeal before the IHC, and that during this period, she had contracted a serious ocular ailment and underwent an eye surgery on April 16, 2026.
asserted
she → argue → April
The application further stated that Bushra continued to face a real risk to her remaining eye, having since undergone further medical examinations/checkups, the details of which were also reflected in the synopsis report submitted by the Adiala jail superintendent to the Supreme Court.
asserted
details → state → Court
The applicated also cited the report in which it was stated that the Bushra was diagnosed with an eye condition, posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in her right eye.
asserted
Bushra → applicate → eye
She subsequently developed a “black curtain” and acute deterioration — a condition that was declared an ocular emergency.
asserted
that → develop → curtain
Bushra then underwent a surgery at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, the application said.
asserted
application → undergo → Hospital
It added that later in-jail examination revealed the development of PVD in her previously unaffected left eye.
asserted
examination → add → eye
The continued delay in the fixation of her sentence suspension appeal directly imperiled Buhsra’s health and eyesight, as was demonstrably evident from the deterioration already suffered on account of the delay before IHC, the application contended.
asserted
application → continue → IHC
Considering the period of pendency before the IHC and the FCC, the applicant’s plea against the dismissal of her sentence suspension plea by the IHC had remained undecided for approximately 19 months, the application said.
asserted
application → consider → months
The present application was confined to the limited question of delay in adjudication of the applicant’s request for suspension of sentence, and did not require the FCC to undertake any detailed examination of the merits of the main appeal, the application pleaded.
asserted
application → confine → appeal
Therefore, the application be disposed of through a short, focused hearing, without placing any undue burden on the court’s time, Bushra requested the court.
asserted
Bushra → dispose → court
She further appealed that the FCC may allow the application and fix the appeal for hearing in the week commencing on Sept 21, in the interest of justice.
uncertain
FCC → appeal → justice
The Aporia
