A Pakistan high court on Tuesday directed jail authorities to ensure that former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are not kept in solitary confinement.
The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician and his wife are currently detained at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where they are serving lengthy prison sentences in corruption and related cases.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro announced the verdict after holding maintainable petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Khan and Bibi, PTI reported.
The court directed authorities to allow Khan’s family members to meet him in accordance with jail rules and make arrangements for telephone conversations between him and his sons.
It also ordered Adiala jail authorities to provide Khan with newspapers and books daily and ensure that he receives medical facilities as prescribed under jail rules.
The Adiala jail superintendent was directed to ensure compliance with the court’s orders and submit a report within 15 days.
Justice Soomro had reserved the verdict on August 6 on separate petitions filed by Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum and Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, challenging their alleged solitary confinement.
Imran KhanHas Been In Jail Since 2023
Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions that he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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 the allegations.
Bushra Bibi was first jailed on January 31, 2024, after her conviction in a corruption-related case. She 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 after receiving additional sentences in corruption-related cases.
Supreme Court Rejects Plea For Early Hearing
Separately, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request by Khan’s sister Uzma Khan for an early hearing of a contempt petition against government officials over alleged non-compliance with its August 18 order directing the former prime minister’s transfer to a private hospital, Dawn News reported.
Uzma moved the request after the Supreme Court scheduled September 16 for hearing her earlier contempt petition.
The Supreme Court had on August 18 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.
Uzma’s petition argued that the decision violated the Supreme Court’s order directing that Khan remain admitted at the Islamabad hospital until the next hearing on September 16.
The government defended the decision to take him to PIMS, citing security concerns.
The contempt petition is scheduled 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.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the request for an early hearing under its case-fixation policy, noting that 94 other criminal original petitions in the same category were pending before the court, Dawn News reported.
