Imran Khan Raises Alarm Over Wife's Treatment in Jail

Concerns Over Bushra Bibi's Treatment

Islamabad: Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, voiced serious concerns on Monday regarding the alleged mistreatment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, while she is incarcerated. He criticized the country's judiciary, claiming that judges have compromised their integrity for personal interests. Khan accused the authorities of using his wife's situation as a means of coercion against him. "The judges should feel ashamed. We have repeatedly sought justice, yet they have betrayed their principles for selfish reasons. Unable to break my spirit, they resort to targeting my wife. How can they permit such cruel treatment of Bushra Bibi merely to exert pressure on me?" Khan stated, as reported by various news outlets.

He further revealed that Bushra Bibi is being held in complete isolation, with only a 30-minute weekly visitation allowed, which is sometimes denied altogether. These comments were made during a phone conversation with his son, Kasim Khan, coinciding with the Eid celebrations. Recent reports indicated that Khan has suffered significant vision loss, with only 15 percent remaining in his right eye, attributed to the prison authorities' negligence. His lawyer, Salman Safdar, who visited him last month, noted that Khan has been experiencing blurred and hazy vision, according to reports.

In December of the previous year, both Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with the Toshakhana 2 case. This ruling was issued by a special court located within the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been detained since August 2023. The Toshakhana 2 case involves allegations of fraud concerning state gifts received from the Saudi government in 2021. The Toshakhana is a governmental department responsible for storing gifts given to officials by foreign dignitaries, which can be repurchased under specific regulations. The case, initiated in July 2024, alleges that valuable items, including luxury watches and sets of diamond and gold jewelry, were sold without being properly deposited. While Bushra Bibi was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in October 2024, Khan received bail in the same case a month later. It is important to note that both were already serving time in Adiala Jail due to previous convictions related to the Al-Qadir Trust case.