ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan (FCCP) has dismissed an appeal filed by Bushra Bibi against the Islamabad High Court’s decision to reject her plea for suspension of sentence, observing that the main appeal should be decided expeditiously.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi issued a detailed written judgment on Wednesday.
The court observed that when the main appeal in a case is already pending, it is preferable to decide it at an early stage rather than hold parallel proceedings on an application for suspension of sentence.
The FCCP expressed the expectation that the Islamabad High Court would give both parties a fair opportunity to present their arguments while deciding the main appeal and avoid unnecessary adjournments.
The court also condoned a 61-day delay in filing the appeal, accepting Bushra Bibi’s explanation that she was incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
According to the judgment, Bushra Bibi had challenged the Islamabad High Court’s April 30, 2026, order rejecting her application for suspension of the sentence imposed by an accountability court on January 17, 2025.
Her counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, argued that the application had remained pending because the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) repeatedly sought adjournments. He also submitted that the main appeal involved an extensive record and complex legal questions requiring detailed arguments.
The FCCP held that the extensive record and the need for detailed arguments in the main appeal did not, on their own, provide sufficient grounds to interfere with the high court’s decision to reject the sentence suspension plea.
The court observed that Bushra Bibi’s counsel should fully assist the Islamabad High Court during the main appeal proceedings, while NAB should present its arguments without seeking unnecessary adjournments.
Dismissing the appeal with these observations, the FCCP reiterated its expectation that the Islamabad High Court would endeavour to decide the main appeal as soon as possible.