Imran Khan’s sister challenges ‘illegal solitary confinement’ in Islamabad High Court

Aleema Khan, sister of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, has petitioned the Islamabad High Court against his “prolonged solitary confinement” at Adiala Jail, terming it unlawful and in violation of fundamental rights.

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan’s sister moved the Islamabad High Court, challenging his “prolonged solitary confinement” at Adiala Jail, calling it illegal and a violation of fundamental rights, according to a media report on Friday.

Aleema Khan filed the writ petition in the high court on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported.

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The petitioner argued that no court had sentenced the 74-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder to solitary confinement in either the Al-Qadir Trust case or the Toshakhana-II case.

It alleged that jail authorities had kept him in isolation for approximately 22 hours daily over the last six months without any legal sanction.

Citing the Pakistan Penal Code and the Pakistan Prisons Rules, the petition stated that solitary confinement could only be awarded by a court and could not exceed 14 days at a time.

The petition termed the “prolonged isolation” as “patently illegal, devoid of lawful authority, and amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment”.

The petition further alleged that Khan had lost 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye due to an ailment for which he had been taken to PIMS Hospital on four occasions.

However, it added that neither family members nor his legal counsel had been informed about the nature of his disease or the treatment being administered.

“Despite repeated injections, there has been no improvement in his eyesight, and he has not been formally admitted to any hospital for proper diagnosis,” the petition stated.

According to the petition, Khan informed his counsel during court-mandated meetings that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was also being kept in solitary confinement for 24 hours a day at the same jail.

The petition requested the court to declare “the solitary confinement and incommunicado detention” of the PTI founder “illegal, unlawful, without lawful authority”.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders were once again denied a meeting with Khan on Thursday, as they called for the implementation of the court’s decision allowing the huddles, the Dawn report said.

The IHC has allowed Khan to hold twice-weekly meetings, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with his family, lawyers and other associates.

Despite the order, the former premier has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months.

The party secretary general had submitted a list of six party leaders to the jail authorities, in line with court orders, for a meeting on Thursday.

All party leaders included in the list arrived at Adiala jail on Thursday for a meeting with the PTI founder, but were not allowed to meet him, the report said.