FCC rejects Bushra Bibi's petition seeking suspension of 7-year Al-Qadir Trust sentence

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday rejected a plea moved by the spouse of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension of her seven-year sentence in the £190 Al-Qadir Trust case . Earlier in the day, a two-judge FCC bench consisting of Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi reserved its ruling and directed senior counsel Salman Safdar, who is representing the appellant, to submit written arguments before the court. The detailed order for dismissal will be issued by the FCC later. Bushra had moved the FCC in July seeking the suspension of her sentence, with her criminal appeal contending that the appellant, being a woman with a serious medical condition, was entitled to the suspension of her sentence.

On Sept 17, Safdar moved an application before the FCC, seeking early hearing of the appeal, citing a rapidly deteriorating ocular condition that threatens the appellant’s remaining eyesight. Earlier this month, senior members of the PTI’s legal team approached the FCC for early fixation of the criminal appeal. However, no fresh application was filed, and only a verbal request was made for early registration and fixation of the case. On Wednesday, the court took up Bushra’s criminal appeal, in which she contended that, as a woman and in view of her serious medical condition, she 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). PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja was also present in the courtroom during the hearing. Safdar argued that the courts have always maintained a lenient view regarding women. He added that the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) conduct in the past 13…