Bushra Bibi raises alarm over rat infestation in jail

RAWALPINDI:

Bushra Bibi, the spouse of PTI founder Imran Khan, has raised concerns about a rat infestation plaguing her cell in Adiala Jail.

The issue came to light on Monday during a hearing on the £190 million reference case, where she brought the matter before the accountability court judge.

Bushra Bibi informed Judge Nasir Javed Rana that her cell was overrun with rats.

Expressing distress, the former first lady said that rats had been falling from the ceiling during her prayers and had been causing havoc in her cell for the past three months.

In response, Judge Rana immediately summoned the jailer to the stand and directed him to eliminate the rats from Bushra Bibi's cell.

The jailer assured the court that the sanitary staff would promptly address the issue, to which Bushra Bibi expressed her satisfaction before returning to her seat.

It may be recalled here that this is not the first time the former first lady has sounded alarms over her incarceration conditions.

Earlier, in May, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had approved Bushra Bibi's request seeking her transfer from their Banigala residence— which had been declared a sub-jail - to Adiala Jail, where her husband is currently incarcerated.

Earlier, Bushra Bibi had filed a petition before the IHC against alleged violations of her fundamental rights during her incarceration at Banigala sub-jail.

She had contended that she was poisoned and subjected to psychological torture at her Banigala residence which had been declared a sub-jail.