close
Wednesday December 18, 2024

Bushra Bibi meets Imran Khan for an hour in jail

Lawyers Naeem Panjotha, Sher Afzal Marwat and Ali Ijaz Buttar denied permission to visit PTI chief

By Arfa Feroz Zake
August 10, 2023
Former prime minister Imran Khan along with his wife Bushra Bibi signs surety bonds for bail in various cases, at the registrars office in the Lahore High Court on July 17, 2023. — AFP
Former prime minister Imran Khan along with his wife Bushra Bibi signs surety bonds for bail in various cases, at the registrar's office in the Lahore High Court on July 17, 2023. — AFP

ATTOCK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday met his wife Bushra Bibi in Attock jail for the first time after his arrest on August 5 without the presence of his lawyers.

Bushra Bibi, along with the former prime minister's lawyers, reached the Attock jail where only she was allowed to meet Khan.

The one-to-one meeting between the two went on for about an hour without the ex-first lady's legal team. However, lawyers Naeem Panjotha, Sher Afzal Marwat and Ali Ijaz Buttar did not get permission to visit the deposed prime minister who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote in April last year.

According to Panjotha, Bushra Bibi had gotten permission to meet Khan from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The legal team could not get permission to meet the PTI chairman despite showing court orders, said sources. They added that the lawyers remained outside the jail.

Khan's wife left for Lahore after their meeting, the sources said.

The former prime minister was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after being convicted in the Toshakhana case with accusations of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million ($635,000).

Khan denies the allegations against him.

"Charges of misdeclaration of assets have been proven against the PTI chairman," Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar mentioned in his judgement.

Judge Dilawar sentenced the PTI chief to three-year imprisonment, issuing arrest warrants against him and a fine of Rs100,000.

The judge also rejected Khan's petition against the maintainability of the case.

The party of the former prime minister has moved the Supreme Court against the trial court's order, seeking to declare Judge Dilawar's verdict "null and void".

The PTI has also approached Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq requesting Khan's transfer from Attock jail to Adiala jail.