Aleema Khan moves IHC against Imran Khan’s alleged solitary confinement

Aleema Khan has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the alleged solitary confinement of her brother and Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Aleema Khan has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the alleged solitary confinement of her brother and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, arguing that his detention conditions are unlawful and violate basic human rights.

The petition, submitted through Barrister Salman Safdar, names several respondents, including the superintendent of Adiala Jail, the inspector general of prisons, the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

According to the petition, Imran Khan has allegedly been held in solitary confinement for nearly 22 hours each day. It also claims that his wife, Bushra Bibi, has remained in complete isolation for 24 hours a day. The petition states that these conditions came to light during a meeting between Imran Khan and his legal team on April 8.

Aleema Khan further alleged that neither family members nor senior PTI leaders have been permitted to meet the former prime minister over the past six months. She argued that no court had ordered solitary confinement as part of his sentence, making the continued isolation illegal and without legal justification.

The petition also raises concerns about Imran Khan’s health. According to Aleema, he informed his lawyers that his eyesight has deteriorated significantly, with nearly 85 percent of his vision reportedly affected. It argues that prolonged solitary confinement is among the harshest forms of imprisonment and cannot be imposed unless specifically authorised under the law.

The petitioner has requested the Islamabad High Court to declare the alleged solitary confinement unlawful and direct the relevant authorities to immediately end the practice.

The petition comes shortly after Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, also approached the IHC, challenging the alleged isolation of her mother in prison.

Imran Khan has remained incarcerated since August 5, 2023. He is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, while Bushra Bibi is serving a seven-year sentence. Both convictions were handed down by an accountability court on January 17, 2025, and have since been challenged before the Islamabad High Court.

The IHC is scheduled to hear the couple’s appeals against their convictions on Monday.

The Al-Qadir Trust case alleges that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi received billions of rupees along with hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for facilitating the legal settlement of £190 million returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the PTI government.

Meanwhile, concerns regarding Imran Khan’s eye health have continued. He was diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) earlier this year and has undergone a series of medical procedures, with his fifth treatment completed on June 15. A medical report prepared in February stated that while his vision had improved with corrective lenses, treatment remained necessary.

The PTI and Imran Khan’s family have repeatedly demanded access to his personal doctors and requested that he receive treatment at a hospital of his own choosing. The government, however, has rejected allegations of denying him proper medical care or restricting access to treatment.