Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has rejected Bushra Bibi’s plea to suspend her seven-year prison sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. Bushra Bibi is the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan.
A two-member bench heard the petition on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan led the bench, while Justice Ali Baqar Najafi served as its other member. Barrister Salman Safdar represented Bushra Bibi during the hearing. Senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja also attended the proceedings.
The court’s decision denies Bushra Bibi’s request for sentence suspension through this petition. However, it does not automatically settle the wider legal challenges to her conviction.
What Did Bushra Bibi’s Lawyer Argue?
During the hearing, Safdar argued that the court should consider Bushra Bibi’s gender when deciding whether to suspend her sentence. He also criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over repeated requests for adjournments.
According to the defence, NAB had sought adjournments several times over the previous 13 months. Safdar argued that the circumstances supported his client’s request for relief.
Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan directed the lawyer to focus on the legal question before the bench. The court was considering the sentence-suspension petition rather than the full merits of the corruption case.
The bench then asked the defence counsel to submit written arguments before announcing its decision.
Background of the £190 Million Al-Qadir Trust Case
An accountability court in Islamabad convicted Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on January 17, 2025. The court sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs1 million. Bushra Bibi received a seven-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs500,000.
The case centres on a £190 million settlement involving the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA). The agency recovered the money during an investigation involving assets linked to a Pakistani property tycoon.
Pakistani prosecutors alleged that the government mishandled the settlement during Imran Khan’s premiership. They also alleged that the arrangement benefited the property tycoon. The case later became widely known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The NCA settlement itself did not establish criminal guilt. Pakistan’s legal proceedings examined allegations concerning the handling of the funds and related benefits.
What Happens Next?
The FCC’s rejection means Bushra Bibi has not secured the requested suspension of her sentence through this application. Her broader legal challenge remains a separate matter.
The next steps will depend on further proceedings in the relevant cases. Any additional relief would require a decision through the applicable legal process.
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