When PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi filed separate petitions with the Islamabad High Court earlier this year seeking relief from their sentences in the £190 million case, the registrar office said the petitions were not likely to be set for hearing in 2025. However, on Thursday, prospects brightened up for the former prime minister and his wife.

The Islamabad High Court issued notices to all parties, including the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), on the petitions filed by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million case

A two-member bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard the suspension applications. Advocate Sardar Latif Khosa appeared on behalf of the petitioners and requested the court to schedule the hearing for next Wednesday.

The court accepted the request and instructed that the matter be fixed for hearing next week, while issuing notices to the respondents to submit their replies.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had filed separate petitions seeking relief from their sentences in the case. However, the registrar’s office had earlier reported that Imran Khan’s appeal was unlikely to be scheduled for hearing within this year.

An accountability court had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to 7 years in prison in the same case.

The case, also referred to as the Al-Qadir Trust case, revolves around accusations that during PTI’s tenure, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi facilitated the legalization of £190 million (approximately Rs50 billion) sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan. In return, they allegedly received billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Ltd.

The case relates to the alleged illegal acquisition of land and construction of Al-Qadir University. It also involves claims that the settlement money was not deposited into the national treasury but was instead adjusted against Bahria Town Karachi’s Rs450 billion liabilities.

Imran Khan is further accused of concealing the details of the agreement from the cabinet, thereby misleading the government.