The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, be transferred from the Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala jail.
IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb delivered the decision on Bushra Bibi’s petition, which requested her relocation to Adiala jail where her husband is currently detained.
The court had held off on a decision since May 2, after hearing arguments including concerns from the jail superintendent about overcrowding and security risks at Adiala jail.
Furthermore, the court declared the notification designating Bushra Bibi’s residence at Bani Gala as a sub-jail to be “null and void.”
Bushra Bibi had been under house arrest at Bani Gala since January 31, following her conviction in the Toshakhana case. Initially, Bani Gala was declared a sub-jail to detain her at the superintendent of Adiala jail’s behest.
On February 6, she challenged the decision to confine her at Bani Gala for her 14-year sentence.
In her petition, she expressed her readiness to serve her sentence in Adiala Jail like other political detainees, rather than at her designated residence.
She also voiced concerns about her safety at the sub-jail due to potential security issues and argued that the special treatment she was receiving violated constitutional equality principles, making it discriminatory.
She requested the court to revoke the sub-jail status of her house and move her to Adiala jail in the “interest of justice.”
Bushra and Khan were each sentenced to 14 years in prison by the accountability court’s Judge Muhammad Bashir, who also barred the former prime minister from holding public office for 10 years and imposed a fine of Rs1.57 billion on the couple — Rs787 million each.
Khan asserted in court that his wife was unrelated to the charges and criticized the way she was being implicated.
Toshakhana Case
The Toshakhana case revolves around the regulations that allow government officials to keep lower-valued gifts or purchase more expensive items at significantly reduced prices.
The Toshakhana came under scrutiny after allegations surfaced that Khan, during his 2018 to 2022 term as prime minister, bought gifts at nominal rates and sold them for substantial profits.
These accusations include the handling of gifts valued over Rs140 million received during foreign trips, notably including watches from a royal family, some of which were allegedly sold by Khan’s aides in Dubai.
Among these were seven watches, six from Rolex and one particularly valuable “Master Graff limited edition” watch estimated at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000).
A reference by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf prompted the Election Commission to investigate, leading to a declaration of guilty for corrupt practices against Khan by the electoral authority in October 2022, resulting in a court complaint in Islamabad.
