Adiala jail superintendent denies Imran Khan held in solitary confinement

ISLAMABA: The Adiala jail superintendent has told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is not being held in solitary confinement, rejecting allegations raised in a petition filed by his sister, Aleema Khan.

The jail superintendent on Wednesday submitted a detailed report to the IHC saying Khan has “access to natural light, fresh air, exercise and daily movement within the prison.”

The report was submitted in response to a petition filed by Aleema Khan, who alleged that the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were being kept in solitary confinement and that family members and lawyers were being denied access to them.

According to the report, Khan’s accommodation complies with prison rules and ensures his privacy while allowing him access to natural light and fresh air.

The jail superintendent said that Khan is allowed to exercise from sunrise until sunset and can move freely from the time his cell is unlocked in the morning until it is locked in the evening, enabling him to spend the day on activities of his choice.

The report said that Khan’s place of detention is secure and under constant surveillance, with adequate prison staff deployed, while the superintendent and other officials regularly inspect security arrangements.

It said that, in accordance with prison rules, the ex-premier is permitted to meet his jailed wife every Tuesday and is regularly provided with newspapers and books of his choice.

The superintendent also referred to an inspection of Khan’s cell carried out on February 10 by lawyer Salman Safdar in his capacity as amicus curiae (friend of the court).

According to the report, Safdar examined Khan’s living conditions in detail and later submitted his findings to the Supreme Court.

The report concluded that Khan’s detention conditions were satisfactory and contained “not even the slightest element” of solitary confinement.

The jail superintendent urged the court to dismiss Aleema Khan’s petition as speculative and baseless.

The IHC had earlier sought a detailed report from the jail authorities after observing that allegations of unlawful solitary confinement could not be ignored without examining the prison authorities’ account.

The court had asked the superintendent to explain whether Khan and Bushra Bibi had been held in isolation, under what legal authority and for how long before deciding the maintainability of the petitions.

Aleema Khan’s petition contends that Imran Khan has been kept in isolation for up to 22 hours a day for several months despite no court ordering solitary confinement.

It also alleged that family members and PTI leaders have repeatedly been denied meetings with the former premier, in violation of previous court orders.

IHC Judge Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro will hear the case on Thursday (tomorrow).

The petitions were filed by Aleema Khan on behalf of the PTI founder and by Mubashra Maneka, Bushra Bibi’s daughter, on behalf of her mother.

The court had issued a notice to the Adiala jail superintendent and sought a detailed report.

Khan, 74, has been in custody since August 5, 2023, after his initial conviction in the Toshakhana case.

Although some convictions have since been suspended or overturned, he remains imprisoned following his conviction in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, which he and PTI say is politically motivated. The government denies using legal proceedings to sideline the main political opponent.