The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday removed the registrar's office's objections to petitions filed on behalf of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against their alleged solitary confinement and directed that the cases be assigned regular numbers. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro presided over the hearing of the petitions, which were filed by Imran's sister Aleema Khan on his behalf and by Mubashra Khawar Maneka on behalf of Bushra Bibi. Barrister Salman Safdar and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja represented the petitioners.
Registrar's Objections Overruled
During the proceedings, Barrister Safdar argued that the registrar's office had raised an objection that the petitioners were not the aggrieved parties. He clarified that Aleema Khan is the PTI founder's sister and Mubashra Maneka is Bushra Bibi's daughter, asserting their legal standing to file the petitions. Safdar noted that the issue of alleged solitary confinement had previously been brought before the chief justice during appeals, who directed them to approach the relevant forum.
Legal Precedents Cited
Safdar cited the Begum Shamim Afridi case, where a wife challenged the solitary confinement of her imprisoned husband, to support the petitioners' standing. Justice Soomro asked the counsel to identify the relevant paragraph in that judgment, which Safdar then read aloud. The lawyer also highlighted that he had not been allowed to meet Bushra Bibi since December, and had met Imran Khan only twice under orders from the chief justice of Pakistan and the IHC chief justice. He stated that the prisoners lack access to television and newspapers, calling solitary confinement the harshest form of punishment. Safdar argued that the judgment against them contains no mention of solitary confinement, and even extraordinary prisoners can only be kept in isolation for 14 days.
Allegations of Inhumane Treatment
Safdar alleged that both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have been subjected to inhumane treatment, claiming they have been kept in solitary confinement for the past seven months without being allowed to meet anyone. He referenced a previous petition involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, questioning: "If no family member can approach the court, then who can?" Justice Soomro requested a copy of the order where the chief justice allegedly directed the petitioners to approach the relevant forum. Safdar replied that they do not have a copy, as they face difficulties even obtaining certified copies.
NAB Prosecutor Disputes Claims
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Rafi Maqsood disputed the claims, telling the court that after meeting Imran, Safdar never informed the bench that his client was being held in solitary confinement. The prosecutor stated that Safdar only told the court he had been instructed to argue the suspension of sentence applications, not the appeals. Safdar responded that a miscellaneous application raising the issue had already been filed in the pending appeals. The prosecutor argued that the miscellaneous application had been dismissed, while Safdar maintained it had not. The NAB prosecutor further contended that the matter could now be taken to the Supreme Court and could not be pursued through a constitutional petition under Article 199.
Petition Details and Next Hearing
The petition, filed under Article 199 of the Constitution through a legal team led by Safdar and Advocate Salman Akram Raja, names the superintendent and deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail, the Punjab inspector general of prisons, the NAB chairman, the FIA director general, the medical superintendent of PIMS, and the state as respondents. The petition contends that no court awarded the 74-year-old former premier solitary confinement in either the Al-Qadir Trust Case or the Toshakhana-II case, yet jail authorities have allegedly kept him in isolation for nearly 22 hours a day over the last six months without any lawful sanction. Safdar requested the court to summon copies of the miscellaneous application and any related order from the earlier proceedings, maintaining that no order had been passed by the chief justice's bench on the solitary confinement issue. After hearing the arguments, the court removed the registrar's office's objections, directed that the petitions be assigned regular numbers, and held that the question of maintainability would be decided on the judicial side. At Safdar's request, the court adjourned further hearing until Tuesday.
Background of Incarceration
Imran Khan 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. 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 National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The IHC is currently hearing appeals seeking suspension of these sentences.
