Islamabad: High Court (IHC) inquires whether the authorities obtained consent from ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan prior to transforming his Bani Gala residence into a temporary detention facility.
IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb made these comments during the hearing of Bushra Bibi’s, wife of Mr. Khan, petition. She requested a transfer from the Bani Gala residence to Adiala Jail. Currently, she is serving a 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana reference case and a 7-year term in the iddat case.
The petition argues that she was moved to Bani Gala residence without her request to designate it as a sub-jail, which was done by the Islamabad chief commissioner using his discretion. The former first lady claims she does not feel secure at the house, stating she has been confined alone while unidentified individuals roam around the area.
“The court demands an update on Bushra Bibi’s living situation”
During the hearing on Thursday, Justice Aurangzeb asked if the district administration sought the owner’s permission, which was a precondition, before declaring private premises a sub-jail.
Ms Bibi’s counsel, Usman Gill, informed the judge that the former prime minister owned the house and it was converted into a sub-jail without his permission.
The judge further inquired whether the convict was allowed to walk outside of her room, to which her counsel replied in negative.
She has been confined to a room and not allowed to move outside, the counsel claimed.
Later, the court directed a senior official of Adiala Jail to visit the sub-jail and sought a report on Ms Bibi’s living condition and her meetings with her spouse after their arrest.
The former prime minister and his wife were sentenced by a special court in the case of illegal sale of state gifts on Jan 31.
Following Mr. Khan’s imprisonment, Ms. Bibi voluntarily surrendered to the jail authorities at 10 am on the same day.
However, she was later transferred to Mr. Khan’s Bani Gala residence, which was declared a sub-jail through a late-night notification. This change in her confinement location has been a topic of discussion for weeks, as Ms. Bibi and her husband maintained they hadn’t submitted any application to classify the residence as a sub-jail.
During a previous hearing, the Adiala Jail administration expressed their opposition to moving her back to the prison, citing concerns about overcrowding potentially posing security risks for the former first lady.
