The counsel for former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, and the Adiala Jail authorities on Monday presented conflicting accounts regarding the signing and provision of powers of attorney (PoAs) required to represent the couple before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the £190 million case.
Jail Authorities' Claims
The superintendent of Adiala Jail, in a written reply submitted to the IHC, claimed that the PoAs signed by Imran and Bushra Bibi had been prepared on June 16 in compliance with court orders. The superintendent alleged that their counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, had been informed the same day via text message. According to the response, Safdar was informed that the signed PoAs were available for collection, and a screenshot of the text message was attached with the reply.
The superintendent further contended that despite being informed, the legal team deliberately did not collect the documents before the hearing held on June 18. This claim suggests that the delay in obtaining the PoAs was due to the legal team's inaction rather than any fault of the jail authorities.
Legal Team's Rebuttal
Responding to the jail authorities' claims, Barrister Salman Safdar strongly disputed the superintendent's version of events. Safdar told The Express Tribune that members of his legal team visited Adiala Jail five to six times over the past four weeks to obtain the powers of attorney but were not provided with the documents. He stated that advocates Sarmad, Ahmad Maysar, and Khalid Yousaf approached the jail on more than five occasions to secure the documents.
According to Safdar, the repeated unsuccessful attempts compelled the legal team to file a contempt petition before the Islamabad High Court on the morning of June 15. "After filing the contempt petition, it was conveyed for the first time that we could collect a POA executed only by Imran Khan Sahib and not by Bushra Bibi. This was unacceptable for us," Safdar said. He emphasized that the legal team required PoAs from both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to represent them jointly in the case.
Impact on Legal Proceedings
The dispute over the PoAs has implications for the ongoing £190 million case, which involves allegations of corruption and misuse of authority. Without valid PoAs, the legal team cannot formally represent the couple before the IHC, potentially delaying proceedings. The court is expected to review the conflicting claims and may issue further orders to resolve the matter.
