ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered the transfer of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, from the Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala jail.
IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on Bushra Bibi’s petition seeking her transfer to Adiala jail, where her husband is currently held.
The high court had reserved the verdict on May 2 after hearing arguments. The jail superintendent had stated they couldn’t accommodate Bushra Bibi due to overcrowding and security concerns.
The court also declared the notification declaring Bushra Bibi’s residence in Bani Gala as a sub-jail “null and void”.
Bushra was placed under house arrest at her Bani Gala residence on January 31, following her conviction in the Toshakhana case. The Bani Gala residence was designated as a “sub-jail” at the request of the Adiala jail superintendent.
On February 6, Bushra challenged the decision to confine her at Bani Gala and requested to serve her sentence in Adiala Jail, like other political workers of the party.
She expressed feeling “unsafe” being alone in the sub-jail premises due to security concerns.
The wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder argued that the special treatment contradicted equality guaranteed under the Constitution and was discriminatory.
She pleaded with the court to set aside the notification declaring her house a sub-jail and to shift her to Adiala jail in the “interest of justice”.
Bushra and Khan were sentenced to 14 years in jail each for their involvement in the illegal sale of state gifts from Toshakhana. The court also disqualified Khan from holding public office for 10 years and imposed a fine of Rs1.57 billion on the couple.
Khan maintained that his wife had no connection to the case and was being unjustly implicated.
The case revolves around the rules governing Toshakhana, where government officials can keep gifts of low worth but must pay a reduced fee for extravagant items.
Allegations emerged that Khan sold off gifts he received as prime minister for profits, including expensive watches, prompting an investigation.
National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf forwarded a reference to the Election Commission, which found Khan guilty of corrupt practices, leading to legal action.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
