Pakistan Court Orders End to Solitary Confinement for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi

Islamabad: A Pakistani court has ordered that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, should no longer be kept in solitary confinement. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) also directed prison authorities to allow meetings between Imran Khan and his wife in accordance with jail regulations.

Imran Khan, the former cricketer and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been serving lengthy prison sentences in various corruption and other cases at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The court issued the directions while hearing a petition filed by his sister, Aleema Khan, who alleged that he was being kept in solitary confinement. Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashar Khawar Maneka, had also filed a petition.

IHC Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro ordered authorities to allow Imran Khan’s family members to meet him and facilitate telephone conversations between him and his children. The court also directed Adiala Jail authorities to provide him with newspapers and books every day and ensure that he receives necessary medical treatment.

Imran Khan, 73, has been in prison since August 2023.