Pak HC intervenes over Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi’s detention, bars solitary confinement
Rawalpindi’s Aiala jail superintendent has been asked to implement the directions and submit a compliance report within 15 days, according to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The ruling also set out provisions for Khan’s family meetings, phone calls, reading material and medical care. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro also ordered the jail to provide Khan with newspapers and books every day and ensure access to medical facilities as prescribed under jail rules.
A Pakistan high court on Tuesday directed authorities at Rawalpindi Jail to ensure that former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are not held in solitary confinement.
The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician and his wife have been in custody since August 2023 and is serving prison terms in corruption and related cases. The Supreme Court, however, rejected the request under its case-fixation policy, noting that 94 other criminal original petitions in the same category were pending, Dawn reported. Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and supporters have maintained that the cases are politically motivated, while the government has rejected allegations of mistreatment.
Uzma Khan had sought an earlier hearing, arguing that further delay could affect the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s order. On Monday, the Supreme Court declined an application by Khan’s sister Uzma Khan seeking an early hearing of her contempt petition against government officials over the alleged failure to comply with an earlier order concerning his transfer to a private hospital, Dawn reported.
Uzma Khan’s petition contends that this breached the Supreme Court’s direction that Khan remain admitted at the Islamabad hospital until the next hearing on September 16. Two specialists from Shifa International Hospital also participated in Khan’s eye examination at PIMS, according to the hospital administration, as reported by Dawn. The government has defended the decision, citing security concerns.