PTI senators move IHC against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s solitary confinement, bar on visits

Fourteen Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators approached the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday against the solitary confinement of party founder Imran Khan and his wife, along with requesting permission to meet the former prime minister.

Imran has been held in detention at Adiala Jail for over two and a half years, during which he has faced restrictions on meeting his family and party members. His sisters, along with other close relatives and PTI leaders, have been repeatedly denied permission to meet him, despite court orders allowing such visits.

Read: IHC issues notices on K-P CM's petition to meet Imran Khan

Protests outside the jail over these restrictions, including sit-ins on Adiala Road, were met with water cannons by police to disperse demonstrators, highlighting ongoing tensions around access to the former prime minister.

The petition, filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, mentioned the federal government, Punjab government and the Adiala jail superintendent as respondents.

It requested the court to "declare that the solitary confinement of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all such other present prisoners is without lawful authority, in violation of Section 73 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and Section 30 of the Prisons Act, 1894, and therefore unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, and void".

It further requested the court to declare that the treatment of Imran, Bushra Bibi and all other such present prisoners constituted "cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment" in violation of the Constitution as well as Pakistan's binding obligations under international regulations and to restrain the respondents from continuing such treatment in any form.

The petition also pleaded the court to issue "appropriate directions to frame and enforce binding guidelines, consistent with constitutional guarantees ... and further direct the respondents to adopt, implement, and adhere to the same, so as to prevent the misuse of solitary confinement and other degrading practices against political prisoners in the future".

The PTI senators further impored the court to "declare and hold that the persecution of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi is emblematic of a broader pattern of politically motivated victimisation of democratic leaders, and declare that the arbitrary resort to solitary confinement and denial of prisoners' rights as instruments of political coercion are unconstitutional, impermissible, and contrary to the constitutional guarantees of the citizenry".

They requested that the court direct the respondents to allow them to meet Imran on a periodic basis, at reasonable intervals, and to also meet him for the "lawful purpose of verifying and satisfying themselves that the conditions of his confinement comply with the requirements of the Constitution, applicable prison laws and rules, and Pakistan's binding human-rights obligations, and that his fundamental rights are being respected and safeguarded". 

Among the other requests the petition made was for direction to the respondents to forthwith cease Imran's solitary confinement and to ensure that he was treated strictly in accordance with law and with due regard to his fundamental rights. They lastly pleaded the court to order the respondents to restore Imran's basic entitlements and privileges guaranteed to prisoners under law, including but not limited to access to books, newspapers, television and visitation rights with family.

The petition argued that solitary confinement was being used as a systemic tool of political coercion, aimed at suppressing dissent and curtailing democratic freedoms.

It further contended that the practice violated both Islamic constitutional principles and Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. 

“The deliberate infliction of psychological suffering through isolation, without lawful authority, directly violates these principles and cannot be sustained in an Islamic Republic governed by law,” the petition stated.

Barrister Gohar urges judiciary to act

Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan highlighted the ongoing denial of family visits. “We were trying again to meet the chief justice of Pakistan, but he is busy. We were waiting for three hours to meet the chief justice. Meeting the founder [Imran Khan] is our constitutional and legal right,” he said.

Read More: Imran Khan meeting with PTI leaders denied again, contempt petition filed in IHC

He also pointed out that Imran and Bushra Bibi were not granted bail for over a year following their sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case on January 17, 2025. “We request the judiciary to ensure that people receive justice at their doorstep. When the doors of justice are closed, people take the law into their own hands,” he added.

Addressing broader political concerns, Barrister Gohar emphasised the importance of reconciliation and dialogue. “PTI stands with Pakistan and the Pakistan Armed Forces; we stand with the state. Whenever the country’s matters arose, we declared full support,” he said.

He also stressed the need for peaceful protest. “On February 8, we will record our protest, which will be peaceful. Our appeal is for people to enforce a shutdown and halt wheels," he added.