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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard a petition filed by Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking her transfer from her Banigala residence, which had been declared a sub-jail, to Adiala Jail, where her husband is currently imprisoned. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict on Bushra Bibi’s petition.
The petition was initially disposed of last month due to the absence of Bushra Bibi’s lawyers, but a plea was subsequently filed to restore the case. Bushra Bibi was taken into custody on January 31 after an Islamabad accountability court sentenced her and Imran Khan to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana reference case. Although the IHC suspended their sentences in the Toshakhana case on April 1, Bushra Bibi remains in custody in the Iddat case, while Imran Khan is also incarcerated in other cases.
Following the Toshakhana verdict, Bushra Bibi had arrived at Adiala Jail to surrender to the authorities. However, she was later moved to her Banigala residence after it was declared a sub-jail through a late-night notification. This decision has been subject to controversy, as both Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan have denied submitting any application to declare the residence a sub-jail.
During the hearing, Bushra Bibi’s counsel, Usman Gill, argued that the notification issued by the chief commissioner to make the Banigala residence a sub-jail was illegal. He contended that the imprisonment order was for Adiala Jail, and neither the provincial government nor the Punjab prisons inspector general had issued any directive for the transfer.
Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who presided over the hearing, questioned the state counsel about the process for transferring prisoners from one province to another. The judge also expressed scepticism about the decision to transfer Bushra Bibi to Banigala, noting that it seemed to have been predetermined.
The judge highlighted the apparent contradictions in the state’s arguments, pointing out that while they cited security threats in courts as a reason for holding hearings in jail, they also claimed there were security threats in jail, leading to Bushra Bibi’s transfer to Banigala.
Justice Aurangzeb questioned how many other women had been detained after incarcerating Bushra Bibi at her home, suggesting that if security concerns were the reason, then other prisoners should also be imprisoned at their houses.
The judge also expressed concern over the decision to turn a prisoner’s property into a sub-jail against their will, stating, “How can a prisoner’s property be turned into a sub-jail against his will?”
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Islamabad High Court reserved its verdict on Bushra Bibi’s petition seeking her transfer from Banigala to Adiala Jail.