ISLAMABAD: Fourteen Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the solitary confinement of party founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi and seeking permission to meet the former prime minister.
Imran Khan has been detained at Adiala Jail for more than two and a half years, during which, the petition said, he has been repeatedly denied meetings with family members, party leaders and close relatives, despite court orders allowing such visits. The restrictions have triggered protests outside the jail, including sit-ins on Adiala Road, which were dispersed by police using water cannons.
Filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, the petition named the federal government, Punjab government and the Adiala Jail superintendent as respondents. It urged the court to declare the solitary confinement of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and other prisoners as unlawful, unconstitutional and in violation of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prisons Act.
The senators argued that the treatment amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, breaching constitutional protections as well as Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights conventions. They also sought binding guidelines to prevent the misuse of solitary confinement against political prisoners in the future.
The petition further contended that the confinement and denial of basic rights reflected a broader pattern of politically motivated victimisation aimed at suppressing dissent and democratic freedoms. It requested the court to order an immediate end to Imran Khan’s solitary confinement, restore his basic entitlements — including access to books, newspapers, television and family visits — and allow periodic meetings by PTI senators to assess his detention conditions.
Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the judiciary to intervene, saying repeated attempts to secure meetings with Imran Khan had failed. He stressed that access to the party founder was a constitutional and legal right, while also calling for justice, dialogue and peaceful protest ahead of the party’s planned February 8 demonstration.
Justin Tv