Court loses patience with delays in Imran Khan’s trial

A trial court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a case concerning the alleged misuse of state gift repository rules by former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, without proceedings, due to the absence of one of their lead counsels.

Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand resumed hearing of the case in a courtroom inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where both Imran and Bushra are detained.

At the outset of the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar's associate informed the court that lead defense counsel Qausain Faisal Mufti was unwell.

The court expressed displeasure over repeated absences by the defense counsel and issued a written order making it clear that no further excuses would be entertained. It ordered that henceforth the case will be heard on a day-to-day basis until final judgment.

The order noted that the defense had failed to provide any medical record regarding Mufti's illness, which prevented cross-examination of the prosecution's last witness, NAB officer Mohsin Haroon.

It observed that similar adjournments were taken in previous hearings as well. It directed defense lawyers to complete cross-examination of the last prosecution witness at the next hearing on Oct 6.