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The court also ordered a series of measures to expand Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s access to family, communication, reading material and medical care.
Imran Khan during a political rally in 2022 (Picture credit: AFP)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Adiala Jail authorities to ensure that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are not kept in solitary confinement, while ordering a series of measures to expand their access to family, communication, reading material and medical care.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, while disposing of petitions challenging the alleged isolation of the former first couple, held that the petitions were maintainable in light of legal precedents including the Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Begum Shamim Afridi cases.
The court directed the Adiala Jail superintendent to facilitate a meeting between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in accordance with prison rules. It also ordered that Khan’s family members be allowed to meet him as permitted under the jail regulations and that arrangements be made for telephone conversations between the former premier and his sons.
However, the court said the telephone facility could be withdrawn if recordings of such conversations were used for political purposes. Khan’s sons, who live abroad, have repeatedly sought greater communication with their father amid concerns over his incarceration and health.
The IHC further directed jail authorities to provide Imran Khan with newspapers and books on a daily basis and ensure that he receives medical facilities in accordance with applicable prison rules. The Adiala superintendent has been ordered to strictly implement the directions and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
The ruling comes after months of disagreement over the conditions in which the couple are being held. Petitions were filed by Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, alleging prolonged isolation and restrictions on family and legal access.
The jail authorities and government had rejected the allegations, arguing that neither prisoner was technically in solitary confinement. Officials said Khan was housed separately because of security concerns and had access to a compound containing several cells rather than being locked inside one cell continuously. Authorities similarly said Bushra was being accommodated separately because of security considerations.
PTI, however, disputed the government’s account and alleged that extraordinary restrictions had effectively isolated the couple.
The ruling also comes against the backdrop of renewed concerns over Khan’s health. On August 18, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered his transfer from jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment, amid concerns over deteriorating eyesight and demands from his family and party for specialist medical care.
Khan has remained incarcerated since August 2023 and continues to face multiple convictions and legal cases. His prolonged imprisonment and the conditions of his detention remain a major political flashpoint in Pakistan.
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Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
September 01, 2026, 14:55 IST
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