The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of appeals seeking suspension of the sentences of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million case, granting the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) time till June 11 to appoint a special prosecutor.

A two-member bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and comprising Justice Asif heard the appeals. Hopes were high among the PTI leadership and legal team, who arrived at court flashing victory signs. However, those expectations were dampened as the court refrained from granting immediate relief.

Defence counsel Barrister Salman Safdar expressed deep frustration over the delay, saying the hearing date was secured after “vows, wishes, and prayers.” He stressed that six months had passed since the couple was sentenced by the accountability court, yet the IHC had not heard their appeals. “There is nothing in the case,” he claimed. “The husband and wife have been unjustly kept behind bars for six months.”

During proceedings, NAB prosecutor Rafay Maqsood informed the bench that he had only received notice of the case a day earlier and requested four weeks to complete the process of appointing a special prosecutor. The court, however, directed NAB to finalise the appointment within seven days.

While NAB insisted that 14 days were needed to correspond with the Ministry of Law, the court remained firm on its directive. Barrister Salman Safdar sarcastically remarked, “Give them four years if they want. If they wish to bring a special team against the PTI founder, let them. We are not afraid.”

The bench ordered NAB to appoint its special prosecutor by June 11 and subsequently adjourned the hearing.