Lawyer requests IHC to consider Imran’s release on humanitarian grounds

PTI founder Imran Khan's lawyer on Thursday requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to consider his release on humanitarian grounds, citing concerns over his health condition in "solitary confinement".

During the hearing of appeals filed by Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their conviction in the £190 million corruption reference, defence lawyer Salman Safdar requested the court to suspend their sentence.

Safdar stated that the case has been pending for more than 16 months and has already gone through 17 hearings at the appellate stage. He argued that despite the passage of time, no relief had been granted to the defence.

He also raised concerns about the conditions of detention, saying both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are facing issues related to solitary confinement. The counsel asked the court to consider the matter on compassionate grounds and suggested that prison conditions could be verified through the inspector general of prisons.

Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar questioned whether the defence was willing to seek a final decision on the appeal instead of interim relief. He observed that while suspension of sentence could be considered separately, it would be more appropriate to decide the main appeal at the earliest.

Safdar responded that the defence was ready for an early hearing but maintained his request for interim relief, saying the accused had not been given any relief so far.

The court was also informed about difficulties in signing a formal power of attorney and obtaining medical records. 

Meanwhile, National Accountability Bureau prosecutor Rafay Maqsood argued that once the appeals had been fixed for hearing, a separate request for suspension of sentence should not be entertained.