The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a directive to the authorities at Adiala jail, instructing them not to keep former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in solitary confinement. This decision came while the court was hearing petitions challenging their alleged isolation in prison.
Justice Khadim Hussain Somroo announced the verdict, which was reserved on petitions seeking to declare the solitary confinement of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi unlawful. The petitions were filed by Aleema Khanum on behalf of Imran Khan and Mubashra Khawar Maneka, Bushra Bibi’s daughter, contesting the conditions of their detention.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 following convictions that he and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claim are politically motivated. Since his removal from office in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote, he has faced numerous legal challenges.
During the hearing, the court instructed the Adiala jail superintendent to ensure that neither Imran Khan nor Bushra Bibi is subjected to solitary confinement. Additionally, the court ordered jail officials to facilitate meetings between the couple.
Notably, the IHC mandated that Imran Khan be permitted to meet with his family members in accordance with jail regulations and be granted telephone access to communicate with his sons. However, the court cautioned that this telephone privilege should be revoked if recordings of these conversations are exploited for political purposes.
The court further directed the jail authorities to provide Imran Khan with daily newspapers and books, along with ensuring he receives medical treatment as per jail rules. The petitions were deemed maintainable based on precedents such as the Nusrat Bhutto case and rulings related to Begum Shamim Afridi.
Adiala jail’s superintendent was ordered to implement the court’s instructions and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
In a significant development related to Imran Khan’s health, the Supreme Court had earlier, on August 18, ordered his transfer from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination. However, he was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present, as stated by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Meanwhile, PTI criticized this move as a violation of the Supreme Court’s directive, while the government defended the decision, citing security concerns as the reason for the transfer to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital.
