Pakistan high court bars solitary confinement for Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi

A bench of the Islamabad High Court issued directives to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail prohibiting solitary confinement of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro ordered that the prison allow family meetings, telephone conversations with their sons, provide daily newspapers and books, and ensure medical care per jail regulations, with a compliance report due in 15 days. The order responds to petitions filed by Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum and Bushra’s daughter Mubashra Khawar Maneka, confirming the petitions as maintainable.

Both Khan and Bushra have been detained since August 2023 on corruption-related sentences, which their PTI party claims are politically driven. Bushra was previously released on bail in October 2024 but re-arrested in January 2025. The high court’s decision comes as the Supreme Court handles separate applications concerning Khan’s transfer to a private hospital and a contempt petition by his sister Uzma Khan. The government cites security concerns for recent hospital moves, while specialists from Shifa International Hospital participated in an eye exam at the state-run PIMS.