The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the authorities at Adiala Jail to ensure that former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are not subjected to solitary confinement and are provided facilities in accordance with prison rules.
IHC Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro announced the verdict, which had been reserved on Aug 6, and ruled that the petitions were maintainable in light of principles established in the Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Begum Shamim Afridi cases.
The court also directed jail authorities to facilitate a meeting between Imran and Bushra Bibi in accordance with prison regulations.
It ordered that Imran’s family members be allowed to meet him as permitted under the rules and instructed authorities to arrange telephone calls between him and his sons.
However, the court said the phone facility could be withdrawn if recordings of the conversations were used for political purposes.
The IHC further directed jail authorities to provide Imran with newspapers and books on a daily basis and ensure that he receives medical treatment and facilities as required under applicable prison rules.
The superintendent of Adiala Jail was specifically instructed to ensure that Bushra Bibi was not kept in solitary confinement and to submit a compliance report to the court within 15 days.
The court directed the jail superintendent to strictly implement its orders and disposed of the petitions accordingly.
The petitions had been filed by Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, and Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, challenging what they described as the prolonged isolation of the former prime minister and his wife.
During previous hearings, the federal government and Adiala Jail authorities had denied that either Imran or Bushra was being held in solitary confinement.
The advocate general had argued that Imran was housed separately due to security concerns stemming from his political profile and was being provided facilities beyond those available to B-class prisoners.
Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig had told the court that Imran was not confined to a single cell throughout the day and had access to a compound consisting of seven cells, where he could move during daytime hours.
Jail authorities had similarly maintained that Bushra Bibi was housed separately because of security concerns and that the arrangement did not constitute solitary confinement.
However, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the petitioners, rejected the government’s position and alleged that the restrictions amounted to prolonged isolation and caused mental distress.
He also raised concerns over limited access to lawyers, family members and reading material and sought regular meetings as well as weekly telephone calls between Imran and his sons.
The case also drew attention last week after an interview with Imran’s sons was broadcast during a Test match between Pakistan and England.
Following the broadcast, the Ministry of Information issued a detailed statement rejecting allegations that Imran was being subjected to “punitive solitary confinement, cruelty or deprivation”. It said visits, telephone calls, reading material and home-cooked meals, among other facilities, were available to him.
The ministry maintained that Imran was not being held under executive detention and had been imprisoned following multiple convictions after judicial proceedings. It added that the PTI founder remained entitled to pursue all legal remedies available under Pakistani law.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), however, rejected the ministry’s claims as misleading, fabricated and incorrect.
