Bushra moved to Adiala after IHC order

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered the transfer of former prime minister Imran Khan’s spouse, Bushra Bibi, from the Banigala sub-jail to the Adiala jail.

IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the reserved verdict on the petition filed by Bushra Bibi seeking her transfer to the Adiala jail — where her husband is currently incarcerated.

On May 2, the high court had reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments. The superintendent jail had relayed that they could not accommodate Bushra Bibi as the jail was already overcrowded and due to security issues.

The court also declared that the notification declaring Bushra Bibi’s residence Banigala as a sub-jail “null and void”.

Bushra was placed under house arrest at her residence in Banigala on January 31, following her conviction in the infamous Toshakhana case. The authorities had declared the Bani Gala residence a “sub-jail” to confine the former first lady at the request of Adiala jail superintendent.

On February 6, Bushra had challenged the authorities’ move to imprison her at Bani Gala to serve a 14-year sentence in the case.

In the petition, Khan’s wife maintained that like other political workers of the party, she was ready and willing to serve her sentence in the “Ordinary Jail Premises at Adiala Jail, rather than the declared sub-jail at her residence”.

Moreover, the former first lady felt “unsafe” being confined alone in the premises of the sub-jail due to the potential security issues. The wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder had said the “special treatment” meted out to her went against the spirit of equality guaranteed under the Constitution and was consequently discriminatory.

In view of the stated reasons, the petitioner had pleaded with the court to set aside the notification to declare her house sub-jail and shift her to Adiala Jail in the “interest of justice”.

Bushra Bibi was in Adiala jail for the hearing in £190m case. She was detained at Adiala jail in accordance with the IHC order.