Bushra Bibi seeks sentence suspension on medical grounds

An application has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for suspending the punishment awarded to Mrs. Bushra Bibi, the wife of detained former prime minister Imran Khan, for the case regarding Al-Qadir Trust on health considerations.

While the division bench of the IHC, headed by Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar, will resume hearings of the petitions of Bushra Bibi and Imran for suspending their respective punishments on April 22, the lawyer Salman Safdar, representing Bushra Bibi, has filed an application regarding her health status.

The court is respectfully requested to hear and decide upon, at earliest, the application of the applicant regarding suspension of her sentence for maintaining parity of justice and equity.

This application has been pending with the court since more than one year. In addition to that, the application further requests the IHC to summons the superintendent of jail, the deputy superintendent of jail, and the head of the ophthalmology department of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, and order them to present themselves along with complete medical records related to her surgical procedure.

The application requests that Bushra Bibi be immediately transferred to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi for post-surgical treatment under continuous medical supervision.

It also urges jail authorities to ensure regular and unhindered access for her lawyers and family members in line with legal rights and previous court orders.

It further argues that Bushra Bibi has faced prolonged incarceration, delays in her appeal and suspension of sentence, and limited access to legal assistance, while her health has reportedly deteriorated and now requires surgery.

The application claims these circumstances amount to a violation of basic rights and a special humanitarian case, calling for judicial intervention and her release on bail, noting that her appeal has been pending for over a year.