IHC miffed at prosecutor's 'delaying tactics'

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has adjourned till October 16 the hearing of the pleas seeking suspension of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi's sentences in the £190m case.

On Thursday, a division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan took up the petitions filed by the couple against the January 17 order of an accountability court.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Rafiq Maqsood informed the court that the accountability watchdog's special prosecutor in this case was seriously ill and could not appear. He requested an adjournment.

Counsel for the petitioners, Barrister Salman Safdar, said NAB always uses delaying tactics. "It takes effort to get the case listed for hearing. I spent the entire night studying volumes while they enjoyed themselves. At the very least, they should have informed me," he said.

The court granted NAB a final opportunity and adjourned proceedings till Oct 16. During the hearing, K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur and the PTI founder's sisters were present in the courtroom.