Bushra Bibi, the wife of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, has asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to order an urgent examination by an expert ophthalmologist, to be paid for by her, as her eyesight reportedly worsens. The request was made in a miscellaneous application linked to her pending appeals in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
The former first lady also wants permission to be treated by doctors of her own choosing, again at her own cost. Her concerns about declining vision are the central reason cited in the filing.
Bushra Bibi’s plea seeks outside treatment and records
Bushra has asked the court to instruct Adiala jail authorities to hand over her full medical record and a new, detailed report covering her diagnosis and treatment. The application also seeks a consultation with a specialist eye doctor, held in the presence of the jail medical officer, along with arrangements for treatment at a specialised facility outside the prison.
Also read: IHC sets November 10 for Imran, Bushra appeals in £190m case
She has voiced dissatisfaction with hygiene and the medical care available inside Adiala jail, the filing said. It also points to a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court in August, which described earlier eye complications and surgery at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi.
Counsel’s affidavit describes meeting at Adiala Jail
Barrister Salman Safdar, who represents both Bushra and Imran, has filed an affidavit before the IHC about his meeting with the couple at Adiala Jail on November 2. According to the affidavit, Bushra wore unusually dark glasses during the visit and appeared visibly distressed when she removed them at the request of Safdar and Imran.
Safdar told the court that Bushra cannot tolerate either sunlight or artificial light and could not open her eyes without protective glasses. Imran also seemed worried about her deteriorating eyesight, the affidavit stated.
Bushra told Safdar that doctors who examined her had diagnosed a mature cataract and recommended another eye operation around November 15, the plea said.
Conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust case
Bushra and Imran are serving prison terms after an accountability court convicted them in the Al-Qadir Trust case. In January 2025, Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana sentenced Imran to 14 years and his wife to seven years. Imran was also fined Rs1 million, while Bushra Bibi was fined Rs500,000.
