Aleema Khan moves IHC against Imran Khan’s 'solitary confinement'

Aleema Khan has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against alleged solitary confinement of her brother, Imran Khan, calling his prison conditions unlawful and inhumane.

The petition, submitted through Barrister Salman Safdar, names the superintendent of Adiala jail, the inspector general of prisons, the chairman of National Accountability Bureau, the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency and the executive director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences as respondents.

According to the plea, details of Imran Khan’s detention came to light during a meeting between his lawyers and jail authorities on April 8. It claimed that the former prime minister had been kept in isolation for 22 hours a day.

The petition also stated that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was allegedly being held separately in confinement for 24 hours a day.

It further said that neither family members nor leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had been allowed to meet him over the last six months.

Aleema Khan argued that there was no judicial order permitting solitary confinement as part of his sentence, making the continued isolation unlawful.

The petition also claimed that Imran Khan had informed his legal team that his eyesight had worsened significantly, with around 85 per cent of his vision reportedly affected.

Calling solitary confinement one of the harshest forms of punishment, the petitioner asked the court to declare the alleged detention conditions illegal and order the authorities to end them.