Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 1: In a major relief to the former Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricket captain Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday barred any further solitary confinement for them in jail and directed the jail authorities to allow them to meet their relatives and others as per the jail rules.
The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician and his wife are currently detained at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, serving lengthy prison sentences in corruption and related cases. Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro announced the verdict after holding that petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Khan and Bibi were maintainable.
The court also directed jail authorities to allow Khan’s family members to meet him in accordance with jail rules and ordered arrangements for telephone conversations between the former prime minister and his sons.
The IHC further instructed Adiala jail authorities to provide Khan with newspapers and books on a daily basis and ensure that he received medical care as prescribed under the applicable jail rules. The jail superintendent was directed to implement the court’s orders and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro had reserved the verdict on August 6 on separate petitions filed by Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum and Bushra Bibi’s daughter Mubashra Khawar Maneka, challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Khan and Bibi.
Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions that he and his PTI party have described as politically motivated. His supporters and relatives have repeatedly alleged that authorities have restricted his access to family members and adequate medical care. The government has rejected such allegations.
Bibi was first jailed on January 31, 2024, after her conviction in a corruption-related case, and was released on bail on October 24 that year after nearly nine months in prison. She was re-arrested on January 17, 2025, following her conviction in another corruption-related case and remains detained at Adiala Jail, having since received additional sentences in corruption-related cases.
Last month, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the government to shift Khan to the private-run Shifa International Hospital following months of concerns raised by his family and supporters over his health, particularly an eye condition diagnosed earlier this year.
However, on the night of August 20-21, Khan was admitted to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical procedure and diagnostic examinations instead of Shifa Hospital. He was subsequently taken back to Adiala Jail soon after the medical examination.
His family approached the court again and argued that the decision violated the Supreme Court’s order, which directed that Khan remain admitted at the Islamabad hospital until the next hearing on September 16. The government defended its decision to take him to PIMS, citing security concerns.
The contempt petition has been fixed for hearing on September 16 before a three-member bench comprising Justices Shahid Waheed, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Ishtiaq Ibrahim. The same bench is also scheduled to hear pending cases concerning Khan’s health and family meetings.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had rejected a request by Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khan for an early hearing of the contempt petition against government officials over alleged non-compliance with its August 18 order directing the former PM’s transfer to the private-run Shifa International Hospital following months of concerns raised by his family and supporters over his health.