IHC reserves verdict on Bushra Bibi plea for family meetings, medical access

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition seeking regular family meetings for Bushra Bibi, access to her personal doctor and the provision of essential items.

The matter was heard by Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir on a petition filed by Mubashra Maneka, daughter of the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan. The plea asked the court to allow routine family visits, private medical access and the supply of necessary items.

During the hearing, lawyer Salman Akram Raja told the court that meetings with Bushra Bibi had been heavily curtailed despite her health condition. He said a meeting was arranged on April 17, the day her operation was being carried out.

"Meetings were arranged on April 17; this was the day her operation was being carried out," Raja said, adding: "This was an emergency meeting which lasted only a few minutes."

He told the court that the last regular weekly meeting took place on February 24 and that no routine meetings were allowed for the following seven weeks, with only emergency meetings permitted. Questioning the restrictions, he asked: "What violation of Rule 265 has Bushra Bibi committed?"

He argued that the curbs were unjustified and said it was an admitted fact that Bushra Bibi was unwell and had undergone surgery.

Raja further said the authorities were relying on social media posts attributed to Bushra Bibi’s sister, Maryam Riaz Wattoo.

"Their entire case is that there are some tweets by Maryam Wattoo due to which meetings are not being allowed. Whenever they feel like it, they stop meetings," he told the court.

"The Twitter account of Maryam Riaz Wattoo was mentioned in court. They presented tweets by Maryam Riaz Wattoo, but that woman is not even in Pakistan," he also said.

"If there is no connection, then there is no need to read her tweets," Justice Tahir observed.

The court had earlier directed Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig on May 4 to decide within two days on an application filed by Bushra Bibi’s daughter regarding medical access and family visitation, and to appear in person on May 6.

In a written report submitted to the IHC on Wednesday, Baig opposed the request. Family meetings were followed by public political statements and social media activity, which the jail administration said affected prison discipline and security. The report specifically referred to social media posts attributed to Maryam Riaz Wattoo, saying tweets were shared after family meetings with the former first lady.

Raja said the issue had persisted for years and that defence counsel had repeatedly approached the courts over the past three years.

"We are told that it is the order of the ‘king’ that meetings cannot take place," he told the court. "I do not know whether this is the wisdom of the jail superintendent or whether they are acting under some order."

"Whenever they feel like it, they keep her in solitary confinement for two to three months," and further said.

After Raja concluded his arguments, Advocate General Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik presented the government’s position. He argued that prison authorities had discretionary powers over inmate facilities and that the jail superintendent had the authority to decide which facilities a prisoner could be given.

Malik also objected to the maintainability of the petition, saying it was not maintainable because the petitioner had an alternative forum available in the form of the Inspector General of Prisons against the jail superintendent’s order. He said prisoners were required to maintain good behaviour and that disciplinary action could be taken in case of violations.

"We are bound by the law; there is no king here, everything is being done according to law," he said, adding that no meeting could take place without the permission of the jail superintendent.

Malik also claimed that an affidavit submitted by Salman Akram Raja was already on record, stating that he would not speak to the media after jail meetings. Raja denied this and said no such affidavit had been submitted. He clarified that his position was limited to not speaking outside the jail gate after meetings.

"You yourself told me that I could speak in the chamber or elsewhere," he said addressing Justice Tahir. Malik maintained that an undertaking existed on record, but Justice Tahir responded that he wrote the decision himself, he knows it.

After hearing both sides, the court reserved its verdict.

Health and custody details

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. They were sentenced on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which concerns allegations that they unlawfully retained a Bulgari jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

Bushra Bibi was moved back to Adiala Jail on April 17 after undergoing a key eye surgery in Rawalpindi. According to jail officials, ophthalmologists diagnosed retinal detachment, which required immediate intervention. She was shifted to a private hospital on the evening of April 30, where she underwent pre-operative tests and later consented to surgery.

The procedure was carried out by Professor Dr Nadeem Qureshi along with a medical panel. She was discharged after an overnight stay and returned to custody. Concerns about her health had already increased after a document dated March 28 surfaced online, indicating that a doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences had examined her and noted a history of blurring of vision and a black spot in the right eye for the past 11 days.