On whose orders was Bushra shifted to Banigala?

ISLAMABAD: Apparently Imran Khan was not much bothered about his convictions, one after the other, but was worried about the imprisonment of his wife Bushra Bibi, who in a late evening dramatic unfolding of the events on Thursday was shifted to her Banigala residence to serve her imprisonment there.

A source claimed that last night’s development was a consequence of some recent contacts of Bushra Bibi. This is step one, the source said, adding if the things go smooth, the second step will be taken. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, however, denied to have entered into any deal or had requested for Banigala option for Khan’s wife.

Who made it possible for Bushra Bibi and on whose orders the authorities declared Banigala as sub-jail for the former first lady, are the questions that remain unanswered as yet. The News has, however, confirmed that the cabinet ministers including even the interior minister Gohar Ejaz were not in the picture. Most of them came to know about the event via media reports like any other ordinary citizen.

Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz, when contacted, confirmed to The News that he was neither consulted nor did he know on whose order it was done. The News also contacted the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to solve the riddle but he did not respond to the query.

During a trial in the Iddat case at Adiala Jail, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi reportedly told the reporters on Thursday that Bushra Bibi was shifted to Banigala without any request from their side. Asad Malik, a senior journalist, who was present in the courtroom, told The News that Khan and Bushra Bibi on their own approached the reporters and denied that any deal was involved in it.

Both, according to Malik, said they did not give any application to shift Bushra Bibi to Banigala and declare it a sub-jail. Malik added that Imran Khan instead told the reporters that he came to know about Bushra Bibi’s shifting to Banigala in the morning on Thursday. Khan said that last night he had sent a blanket for Bushra Bibi.

Imran Khan said that the couple also insisted how they could make such a request when several PTI women are in jail in connection with May 9 attacks. Asad Malik said that Bushra Bibi admitted that there were some indirect contacts made with her but she and Imran Khan were clear not to enter into any deal.

Interestingly, Asad Malik had claimed a few weeks back that Bushra Bibi, during her visit to NAB office in Islamabad, was secretly taken in a car with tinted glass for a half-an-hour meeting with someone not very far from NAB office.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi though denied any deal with anyone, the last night development led to criticism against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. Some suspect a deal, others questioned how Bushara Bibi and Imran Khan agree for the former’s shifting to Banigala when the PTI women protesters of May 9 are in jail.

Bushra Bibi, who was sentenced to 14 years in the Toshakhana reference case, was moved to Banigala, the Islamabad residence of her husband Imran Khan, designated as a sub-jail.

The Islamabad Chief Commissioner issued a notification declaring the residence of convict Bushra Bibi in Banigala as a sub-jail until further orders. “The Chief Commissioner, Islamabad Capital Territory is pleased to declare the residence of convict Bushra Bibi (residential compound, Khan House Banigala, Mohra Noor, Islamabad) as sub-jail till further orders,” stated the notification.