During a hearing regarding appeals in the 190 million pound case at the Islamabad High Court, an important development emerged as the court granted lawyers for the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Bushra Bibi a final deadline of May 20 to present their arguments.
The hearing was conducted by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, during which a written order was also issued. According to the order, lawyer Salman Safdar requested the court to adjourn the hearing so that he could obtain further instructions from his clients, but the National Accountability Bureau opposed the request.
The court observed that during the previous hearing, all parties were clearly instructed to ensure their presence and present complete arguments on the appeals. However, instead of presenting arguments in the current hearing, a request for adjournment was made, which the court described as based on weak grounds.
The court also noted that since the main appeals were filed by the same lawyer, there was no justification for further delay given the importance and nature of the case.
The written order stated that Salman Safdar must complete all necessary preparation and present full arguments on the appeals in the next hearing without fail. The court emphasized that this is the final and last opportunity, and no further extension will be granted.
The next hearing of the case will be held on May 20, where the arguments are expected to be concluded.