Islamabad: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday reserved its ruling on Bushra Bibi’s plea to suspend her seven year prison sentence in the Al Qadir Trust case.
Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan headed the two member bench, which also included Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. The court directed her counsel, Salman Safdar, to submit written arguments.
An accountability court sentenced Bushra Bibi on January 17, 2025. Her appeal seeks suspension of that sentence, citing her status as a woman and a serious medical condition.
Safdar argued that courts had traditionally taken a lenient approach towards women and criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for repeatedly seeking adjournments and opposing relief.
The chief justice asked him to avoid discussing the merits of the conviction at this stage, saying the hearing concerned suspension of the sentence.
Safdar had submitted an application on September 17 citing a deteriorating eye condition that, he said, threatened her remaining eyesight. PTI’s legal team subsequently requested an early hearing on October 6.
The appeal alleged that prison authorities had restricted access to counsel and kept Bushra Bibi in solitary confinement, affecting her physical and mental health.
It also said her family and lawyer were not informed before her eye surgery on April 17. Her daughters later met her and found her distressed, according to the petition.
The petition alleged that she returned to prison without dedicated medical supervision or nursing care despite impaired vision. It argued that these conditions violated her fundamental rights and warranted judicial intervention.
The appeal also challenged the prosecution’s evidence of personal gain and alleged selective prosecution. These remain the appellant’s arguments; the court had not ruled on them or granted sentence suspension at the conclusion of Wednesday’s hearing.
