FCC dismisses Bushra Bibi's plea for suspension of sentence in £190m case
Order says appeal was filed 61 days late, miscellaneous application was submitted seeking condonation of delay
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has reserved its decision on a plea from former first lady Bushra Bibi, seeking the suspension of her seven-year sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan presided over the two-judge bench that will consider the case. Bushra Bibi argued that as a woman and due to her serious medical condition, she was entitled to a sentence suspension, as provided for in Section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The court also instructed senior counsel Salman Safdar to submit written arguments. During the hearing, Safdar claimed that Bushra Bibi's ocular condition was rapidly deteriorating, threatening her remaining vision. He also stated that the National Accountability Bureau's actions had been objectionable, with repeated adjournments and objections to her sentence suspension plea.
The court deferred to the merits of the case, focusing solely on the suspension of the sentence. The appeal alleged that Adiala jail authorities had not complied with the Islamabad High Court's directions for the appellant to meet her counsel. Instead, she was allowed to meet former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who alleged she and Bushra were being illegally held in solitary confinement without adequate communication or human contact.
The appeal emphasized that her prolonged solitary confinement had caused significant harm to her physical and mental health.
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