PTI founder not in solitary confinement

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday heard petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday heard petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. During the proceedings, Advocate General (AG) Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik informed the court that the two prisoners were not kept in solitary confinement, adding that they were being provided facilities even better than B-class prison standards.

Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro presided over the hearing. The petitioners were represented by Barrister Salman Safdar, while the jail superintendent was also present in the courtroom and submitted a detailed report regarding the facilities provided to the high-profile inmates.

Advocate General Malik clarified that the detainees were not isolated due to punitive measures but as a security protocol. He noted that the inability of petitioners’ families to meet them did not constitute solitary confinement. Meanwhile, Jail Superintendent Sajid Beg explained that solitary confinement legally means locking an inmate in a single cell for 24 hours—which, he emphasized, was not the case for Imran Khan. The PTI founder, he said, was housed in a compound consisting of seven interconnected cells, allowing free movement. Additionally, a convicted inmate was permanently assigned to accompany him, further disproving the solitary confinement claim.

The superintendent also disclosed the amenities provided to Khan. He was given access to a television set, newspapers, and books. Both Urdu and English dailies are being delivered daily, and more than 500 books have been provided to him so far—with nine more recently added to his cell.

However, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the petitioners, painted a contrasting picture. He informed the court that on the Supreme Court’s directive, he had visited Imran Khan as a friend of the court and noticed his deteriorating eyesight. According to Safdar, Khan expressed satisfaction with his food, security, and bathroom facilities but pleaded: “Just save my eyesight.”

Safdar further alleged that for seven months, he was not allowed to meet his client, and it was only after the intervention of the Chief Justice that a meeting was arranged in April, lasting barely 65 minutes. Out of that brief meeting, the PTI founder spent 60 minutes complaining about mental torture and restrictions on meetings. He claimed he was under 22-hour isolation while Bushra Bibi faced 24-hour confinement. Safdar also pointed out that the TV provided in the cell had no functioning channels.

In a disturbing revelation, Safdar informed the court that Imran Khan’s 68-year-old sister, Aleema Khanum, visited Adiala Jail 38 times without being granted a single meeting. The PTI founder has also been deprived of telephonic conversations with his sons for the last eight months. Safdar argued that this psychological torture is far more severe than physical violence and urged the court to intervene.

He requested that a panel of three lawyers be formed to visit the jail and independently assess the conditions. He also demanded that Imran Khan be allowed a weekly phone call with his sons and that the jail authorities submit an affidavit committing to this arrangement.

Justice Soomro noted that he had previously visited jails in Sindh when he was a senior judge there, but Aleema Khanum interjected, urging the judge to personally visit Adiala Jail to ascertain the reality.

After hearing all parties, the court directed them to submit written reports and relevant legal references, after which an appropriate order would be issued.