A Pakistan court has barred any further solitary confinement for the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) also directed the Adiala Jail authorities to facilitate a meeting between Khan and his wife per the jail laws.
The verdict came after Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, had approached the court against the alleged solitary confinement of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder, while Bushra Bibi’s daughter Mubashara Khawar Maneka filed a petition concerning her.
Pronouncing the verdict, IHC Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro also directed that Khan’s family members be allowed to meet him as permitted under jail rules and ordered authorities to make arrangements for telephone conversations between him and his sons. The same bench is also scheduled to hear pending cases concerning Khan’s health and family meetings. The Adiala jail superintendent was asked to ensure implementation of the court’s directions and submit a compliance report within 15 days. 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 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.
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.
