The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the transfer of former first lady Bushra Bibi to Adiala jail from her residence – Bani Gala. Earlier this court reserved its decision on a plea from Bushra Bibi – requesting her shift from the Bani Gala sub-jail to the said prison where her husband, former prime minister of Pakistan – Imran Khan is already imprisoned.
Bushra pleaded with the IHC to set aside the chief commissioner’s notification and permit her to meet her sentence like in an ordinary jail. She made this plea fearing that she was not safe while being confined alone in the premises of the sub-jail due to potential security issues. She explained there had been a movement of unidentified people in her house that amounted to her fears of not being safe even at her home.
Bushra Bibi’s counsel pleaded to the court that there was an absence of clear directives from the authorities concerned regarding the jail transfer. The chief commissioner has notified Bushra Bibi’s residence into a sub-jail but this notification was not endorsed by relevant authorities including the superintendent of Adiala jail, the provincial government, and Inspector General of Prisons. The counsel argued before the court that for these reasons this notification of declaring Bani Gala into sub-jail was not illegal.
In March, the Adiala jail superintendent informed the IHC that former premier Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, could not be shifted to the prison for security threats. In response, Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb reiterated security concerns cited for holding hearings in jail premises with similar security threats invoked to justify Bushra Bibi’s relocation. “It appears that the decision to relocate Bushra Bibi to Bani Gala had been predetermined. If I am forcibly confined to my home, I would be deeply pleased. How can a prisoner’s property be converted into a sub-jail against his or her will,” Justice Aurangzeb observed.
After that, the court last week reserved its verdict on this petition of Bushra Bibi and today announced and ordered her shifting from Bani Gala to the Adalia prison. Importantly Bushra Bibi claimed in her petition that she was suffering from heartburn, that her throat and mouth hurt, and that she believed it was caused by the poisonous meals served to her. She claimed that she was subjected to psychological torture at the Bani Gala sub-jail.
Earlier, the founding chairman of PTI Imran Khan claimed that Bushra Bibi had been poisoned while being held at the Bani Gala sub-jail. He demanded a medical examination for her by a doctor from Shaukat Khanum Hospital, expressing distrust of others. During the hearing of the 190 million Pounds corruption reference in Adiala jail, he informed the judge that there had been an attempt to poison the former first lady. He also announced that in any harm to Bushra, the army chief should be held responsible.
Imran urged the court to order Bushra’s medical examination by Dr. Asim of Shaukat Khanum Hospital. He also demanded an inquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, Bushra disclosed that she had been poisoned by “three drops” of a common toilet cleaner mixed into her food, causing her health to deteriorate over a month.
However, Bushra Bibi’s subsequent medical reports including from her personal physician Dr. Asim ruled out any possibility of her being poisoned. Despite that PTI never looked satisfied and sought her transfer to Adiala Jail— By Rana Kashif.
