The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Adiala Jail authorities to submit a detailed report on allegations that PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are being held in solitary confinement, observing that such serious claims of unlawful treatment in prison cannot be ignored or dismissed without first hearing the respondents and examining the prison authorities' account.
Court Orders Factual Report
In a 10-page written order issued by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro on petitions filed by Aleema Khan and Mubashra Maneka, the court said the allegations warranted judicial scrutiny. It issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent, the Inspector General of Prisons and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), while making it clear that the maintainability of the petitions would be decided only after the prison authorities submitted their report.
The court directed the Adiala Jail superintendent to furnish a comprehensive, fact-based report addressing whether Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being kept in solitary confinement, under whose authority such an order had been issued, the legal provisions under which they were being held, and, if applicable, the duration of such confinement.
Serious Allegations Cannot Be Ignored
The written order noted that the petitions contained "serious allegations" of solitary confinement and unlawful treatment in prison. "The allegations cannot be ignored nor can the petitions be dismissed without notice to the respondents or without obtaining a report from the jail authorities," the order stated. The court further observed that the available record showed the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi had been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and simple imprisonment in the event of non-payment of fines, but had not been awarded punishment in the form of solitary confinement.
During the proceedings, the NAB prosecutor told the court that allegations of solitary confinement were false. According to the prosecutor, the allegations had been levelled "for political purposes." The court nevertheless directed the Adiala Jail superintendent to submit a factual report clarifying whether the two prisoners had been placed in solitary confinement. It specifically sought details on the authority under which such confinement, if any, had been ordered, the legal basis for the action and its duration.
Prison Conditions and Facilities
The IHC also ordered prison authorities to submit a report on the condition of both prisoners in jail and the facilities being provided to them in accordance with the jail rules. It further directed that the authorised officer appear at the next hearing with the complete prison record and all relevant documents relating to the case. Issuing notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent, the inspector general of prisons and NAB, the court observed that the maintainability of the petitions would be determined only after the prison authorities' report was received. The hearing was adjourned until August 6.
190 Million Case Appeals
The IHC on Tuesday granted a final opportunity to Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to present arguments in their appeals against their convictions in the £190 million case, warning that it will decide the appeals based on the available record if their counsel fails to proceed at the next hearing. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif accepted a request to adjourn the appeals after defence counsel Sardar Latif Khosa undertook to present arguments at the next hearing.
The order noted that Khosa, whose power of attorney on behalf of Imran and Bushra Bibi is already on record, gave a clear undertaking that he would not seek any further adjournment and would argue the appeals at the next hearing. The bench said the case was being adjourned solely based on that undertaking and stressed that this was the final opportunity being granted to the appellants. They warned that if arguments were not presented at the next hearing, no further adjournment would be granted. Instead, the court would hear the NAB and decide the appeals on the basis of the available record. Further proceedings in the appeals were adjourned indefinitely.
Background of Imprisonment
Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. They were sentenced on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which pertains to allegations that the couple unlawfully retained a Bulgari jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia. Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with protests on May 9, 2023.
In January last year, an Islamabad accountability court sentenced Imran to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison in the reference filed by the NAB. The IHC is currently hearing appeals seeking suspension of these sentences.
FIA Challan in Prohibited Funding Case
In a separate development, the FIA submitted a challan in court against the PTI founder and others in the prohibited funding case. Officials said the challan was filed with Registrar Abdul Wahab of the Special Court (Commercial Banking Circle), Islamabad. The registrar's office will forward the challan to the court after completing the scrutiny process, following which the case will be fixed for regular hearing. The PTI founder and other accused have been nominated in the case and face allegations of foreign funding and financial irregularities.
