IHC bars Imran's lawyers from politics

The court issued the directive at the request of Khosa and Safdar, who stated they needed to consult with their clients to argue the case on merit.

In a written order regarding the November 10 proceedings, the bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif noted that the meeting the next day should last at least one hour. However, the bench also noted its expectation that after the meeting, both lawyers, "being very professional counsels," would not speak about political issues.

"[The court expects that the counsel] would confine themselves only to the extent of legal issues and that no statement will be given publically or before [the] media," the order said. "In the interest of justice, at the request of learned counsel for the appellant, one week's time is granted to prepare the brief of instant appeal.

Relist thereafter [on November 18]. The office shall prepare the paper books within seven days," the order added. In January this year, an accountability court in Islamabad convicted Imran Khan and his wife in the £190m case.

The former PM and first lady later challenged this order in the IHC, whose division bench took up the appeals in October—eight months after filing the appeals.