Islamabad High Court orders Adiala jail to prevent solitary confinement of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi

The Islamabad High Court has ordered Adiala jail authorities to ensure that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are not kept in solitary confinement.

Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro ruled that petitions filed by Imran’s sister Aleema Khan and Bushra’s daughter Mubashra Khawar Maneka could proceed. The court also directed the jail to arrange a meeting between the couple under prison rules.

The order requires authorities to allow Imran’s family to meet him as permitted by those rules and to arrange phone calls with his sons. It said calls should be withdrawn if recordings were being used for political purposes. The court also ordered daily access to newspapers and books for Imran, along with medical facilities required under prison regulations.

The superintendent of Adiala jail must ensure that Bushra is not kept in solitary confinement and submit an implementation report within 15 days. The court directed the superintendent to comply strictly with its instructions before disposing of the applications.

The petitioners had alleged prolonged isolation, mental distress and limited access to lawyers, relatives and books. Government lawyers and jail officials rejected that characterization. They said Imran was housed separately because of security concerns linked to his political profile, but could move during the day within a compound containing seven cells. Officials gave a similar security explanation for Bushra’s separate housing.