Imran's wife seeks transfer from house arrest to same jail as him, Pak court says yes
Imran’s wife seeks transfer from house arrest to same jail as him, Pak court says yes
In a significant victory for Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, a High Court in Islamabad ordered her relocation from house arrest to Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is currently detained.
Bibi was arrested on January 31 this year following a conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case, for which she and Khan were sentenced to 14 years in prison. While their sentences in the Toshakhana case were suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Bushra Bibi continues to be held in custody in the ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case, while Khan remains incarcerated in other legal matters.
Bushra Bibi, 49, had been incarcerated at Banigala, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s mansion in the suburbs of Islamabad, after conviction in two cases while Khan, 71, was kept at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. She had petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision to keep her at Banigala while seeking repatriation to Adiala jail. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb had last week reserved his verdict in the case.
In its order, the court announced the notification to declare Banigala, a sub-jail, “null and void” and ordered the former first lady be shifted to the Adiala Jail. Bibi was taken to the Adiala Jail on Wednesday for a hearing in another case but it was unclear when she will be shifted.
The verdict comes as a victory for Bibi and her spouse who have challenged various cases against them in the higher courts of Pakistan. Since his removal from power in a no-confidence motion in April 2022, the cricketer-turned-politician has been convicted in at least four cases, including the cipher (secret diplomatic communication) case.
With inputs from agencies.