The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on petitions filed against the alleged solitary confinement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. A single bench comprising Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro conducted the hearing on petitions submitted by Imran’s sister Aleema Khan and by Mubashra Khawar Maneka on behalf of Bushra Bibi.
Court Proceedings and Arguments
Barrister Salman Safdar and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared before the court. After completing arguments from all parties, the IHC bench reserved its decision. The federal government, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and Advocate General opposed the petitions, declaring them inadmissible and requesting dismissal.
During the proceedings, Justice Soomro remarked that the court would first decide whether the petitions were maintainable. Notices to respondents would only be issued if the petitions were found admissible. Discussing with petitioners’ counsel Salman Safdar, Justice Soomro observed that if the same bench hears the matter in the future, the case could be fixed in the first week of August.
Legal Observations and Arguments
Justice Soomro also noted that convictions in NAB cases do not carry solitary confinement as a punishment. He said the court had examined both judgments and found no sentence of solitary confinement, adding that the court would first determine maintainability before considering issuing notices to prison authorities.
Counsel for the petitioners, Barrister Salman Safdar, argued that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been held in solitary confinement for several months in violation of prison rules. He said the issue had previously been mentioned only as background and had not been the subject of a separate legal challenge. Safdar told the court that he had been allowed to meet Imran Khan following a court order but had been denied access to Bushra Bibi for the past seven months. He alleged that Imran Khan was being confined for about 22 hours a day, while Bushra Bibi remained isolated around the clock.
Government and NAB Response
NAB prosecutor Rafi Maqsood challenged the petitions, arguing that Aleema Khan and Mubashra Khawar Maneka were not aggrieved parties and therefore lacked legal standing. He denied that the couple was being held in solitary confinement, saying their custody was managed under prison rules applicable to convicted inmates. He also argued that the petitioners had not first approached prison authorities before seeking constitutional relief.
The federal government, NAB, and the Islamabad advocate general asked the court to dismiss the petitions as not maintainable. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict on the maintainability of the petitions.
Petitions Details
In her petition, Aleema Khan challenged the alleged solitary confinement of her brother, PTI founder Imran Khan, describing his detention conditions as unlawful and inhumane. She filed the petition through Barrister Salman Safdar and cited the Adiala Jail Superintendent, Inspector General of Prisons, NAB Chairman, FIA Director General, and Executive Director of PIMS as respondents. The petitioner prayed the IHC to declare Imran’s alleged solitary confinement illegal and direct authorities to end the practice.
In the petition filed through Barrister Salman Safdar, Bushra’s daughter Mubashra Khawar Maneka challenged the alleged solitary confinement of former first lady Bushra Bibi in Adiala Jail. NAB, the Superintendent of Adiala Jail, and other relevant authorities were named as respondents. Mubashra contended that her mother is being unlawfully kept in solitary confinement, in violation of her constitutional and fundamental rights. She sought appropriate directions to jail authorities to ensure compliance with constitutional safeguards and protection of the inmate’s fundamental rights.
