Adiala jail denies Imran Khan held in solitary confinement, IHC told

ISLAMABAD: Adiala Jail authorities have informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is not being held in solitary confinement, rejecting allegations made in a petition filed by his sister Aleema Khan.

In a detailed report submitted to the IHC on Wednesday, the jail superintendent said Khan has access to natural light, fresh air, exercise and daily movement within the prison in accordance with jail rules.

The report was filed in response to petitions by Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Maneka, who alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being kept in solitary confinement while family members and lawyers were being denied access to them.

According to the report, Khan’s accommodation complies with prison regulations, ensuring his privacy while providing adequate access to natural light and ventilation.

The jail superintendent stated that the former prime minister is allowed to exercise from sunrise until sunset and can move freely from the time his cell is opened in the morning until it is locked in the evening, enabling him to spend the day engaged in activities of his choice.

The report added that Khan’s place of detention is secure, remains under constant surveillance and is regularly inspected by prison authorities to ensure proper security arrangements.

It further stated that under prison rules, Khan is permitted to meet his wife, Bushra Bibi, every Tuesday and is regularly provided with newspapers and books of his choice.

The superintendent also referred to an inspection carried out on February 10 by lawyer Salman Safdar in his capacity as amicus curiae, stating that he had examined Khan’s living conditions and later submitted his observations to the Supreme Court.

According to the report, the inspection found Khan’s detention conditions to be satisfactory and concluded that there was “not even the slightest element” of solitary confinement.

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The jail authorities requested the Islamabad High Court to dismiss Aleema Khan’s petition, describing the allegations as speculative and without merit.

The IHC had earlier sought a detailed report from prison authorities after observing that allegations of unlawful solitary confinement required judicial examination. The court directed the jail superintendent to clarify whether Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been held in isolation, under what legal authority and for what duration.

Aleema Khan’s petition claims that Imran Khan has been kept in isolation for up to 22 hours a day for several months despite the absence of any court order authorising solitary confinement. The petition also alleges repeated denial of meetings between the former prime minister, his family members and PTI leaders in violation of previous court directives.

Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday.

Imran Khan has remained in custody since August 5, 2023. While several convictions against him have been suspended or overturned, he continues to remain imprisoned following his conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, which PTI describes as politically motivated. The government has denied the allegation.