Bushra Bibi withdraws LHC plea challenging Toshakhana arrest

The Lahore High Court dismissed a plea filed by Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, after she withdrew her petition challenging her arrest in the third Toshakhana case.

The petition also sought action against the superintendent of Adiala Jail and female staff for allegedly mistreating her following her re-arrest after acquittal in the Iddat case.

The court’s registrar raised objections, stating that the Lahore High Court was not the appropriate forum for such a plea.

Bushra Bibi, represented by senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, requested the court declare her arrest illegal and dismiss any further investigations, FIRs, or detention orders related to the case.

In her petition, she named several respondents, including the Inspector General of Police Punjab, Superintendent of Adiala Jail, the Government of Punjab, and the Federation of Pakistan.

She claimed she was physically assaulted by female jail staff upon her re-arrest and that her detention was part of a broader campaign to target her husband, Imran Khan, through fabricated cases.

Bushra Bibi’s plea stated that her sentence in the Toshakhana case had been suspended, and she was granted bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

She was also acquitted in the Iddat case on July 13, 2024.

Despite these legal victories, she alleged that she was re-arrested in a fresh Toshakhana case, which she deemed illegal and a violation of her rights.

She further argued that the re-arrest was a breach of section 17(d) of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

Bushra Bibi claimed that no reasons for her arrest were provided, nor were any orders from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) shown to her, denying her the right to know the charges against her.

The petition highlighted the alleged mistreatment by uniformed female jail staff, which she described as a humiliating and degrading experience, especially given the lack of a valid arrest warrant.