IHC asks jail authorities not to keep IK in solitary confinement

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed Adiala Jail authorities not to keep Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in solitary confinement. A single bench of Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro on Tuesday disposed of petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi after declaring them maintainable. During the hearing, the court directed the Adiala jail superintendent to ensure that both Imran and Bushra were not kept in solitary confinement. It also directed jail authorities to facilitate a meeting between them. The IHC further ordered that the PTI founding chairman be allowed meetings with his family in accordance with jail rules and be provided telephone access to speak with his sons. The court said that the telephone facility should be withdrawn if recordings of Imran’s conversations with his sons were used for political purposes. The IHC also directed Adiala jail authorities to provide Imran with newspapers and books on a daily basis and ensure that he receives medical facilities in accordance with the jail rules. The order said the petitions were maintainable in light of previous judgments, including the Nusrat Bhutto case and decisions concerning Begum Shamim Afridi. The petitions were filed by Aleema Khan on behalf of Imran and Mubashra Khawar Maneka, the daughter of Bushra Bibi, against the alleged solitary confinement of the former prime minister and first lady. NAB prosecutor Rafi Maqsood objected to the petitions, arguing that Aleema Khan and Mubashra Khawar Maneka were not aggrieved parties and therefore lacked the legal standing to file the petitions. Imran has been behind bars since August 2023 following convictions he and his party describe as politically motivated. Since his ouster in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple legal cases. The IHC on August 6 had reserved its verdict on petitions seeking to declare the alleged solitary confinement of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, illegal after hearing detailed arguments from both sides. Justice Soomro had observed that the court would issue an order in the matter and directed the parties to submit any judicial precedents they wished to rely upon in writing. During the hearing, Justice Soomro also observed that the judgments delivered by accountability courts in the £190 million and Toshakhana-I cases do not provide for solitary confinement. “I have examined both judgments. There is no punishment of solitary confinement. We will first decide whether these petitions are maintainable. If they are held to be maintainable, notices will then be issued to the jail authorities seeking their response, ” the judge remarked. Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Malik denied that either Imran or Bushra Bibi was being held in solitary confinement. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

Read full story on Business Recorder