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

ISLAMABAD: Aleema Khan has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against what she described as the unlawful and inhumane solitary confinement of her brother, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, according to a petition that surfaced on Saturday.

The petition was filed through Barrister Salman Safdar and names the Adiala Jail superintendent, the inspector general of prisons, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general and the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) as respondents.

According to the petition, a meeting between lawyers and Imran Khan on April 8 brought out that the former prime minister had allegedly been kept in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day. It further stated that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was allegedly being held in complete isolation for 24 hours a day. The plea also said that no family member of Imran Khan or PTI leader had been permitted to meet him during the past six months.

The petition argued that no judicial order had authorised solitary confinement as part of Imran Khan’s sentence and maintained that his continued isolation was therefore illegal. It asked the court to declare the alleged solitary confinement unlawful and direct the authorities to stop the practice.

Health concerns raised in petition

Aleema Khan also told the court that her brother was facing inhumane treatment and had informed his legal team that his eyesight had worsened significantly. The petition claimed that around 85 per cent of his vision had been affected.

Imran Khan’s eye condition, identified as right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), became known in late January. Under treatment arranged by the government, his first medical procedure was performed on January 24, while the fifth was conducted on June 15.

A medical report prepared by doctors who examined him on February 15 stated that, without aid, his right eye had 6/24 partial vision while the left eye had 6/9 vision. With glasses, his vision improved to 6/9 partial in the right eye and 6/6 in the left.

Related cases and upcoming hearing

The petition noted that solitary confinement is among the harshest punishments and cannot be imposed without legal authority. It also comes shortly after Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, filed a separate plea in the IHC over the alleged solitary confinement of her mother.

Imran Khan has been imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, after being convicted in the Toshakhana case for concealing details of gifts. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in the £190 million case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. On Jan 17, 2025, an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 14 years and seven years in prison, respectively, in that case.

Both later challenged their convictions before the IHC, which has fixed their appeals for hearing on Monday. The case concerns allegations that the couple received billions of rupees and land measuring hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd in return for legalising Rs50 billion that had been identified and repatriated by the United Kingdom during the PTI government.

Over recent months, the government and opposition have traded accusations over Imran Khan’s medical care. The opposition has accused the government of lacking transparency over his treatment and of not allowing access to his personal physicians, while the government has rejected those allegations. PTI and Imran Khan’s family have demanded that he be allowed treatment by his own doctors and at a hospital of his choosing, citing concern over limited knowledge about his medical care.