By The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted the request of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, to transfer her from their Banigala residence, previously designated as a sub-jail, to Adiala Jail, where her husband is currently detained. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb delivered the verdict, which had been reserved last week after Bushra Bibi filed a petition seeking the transfer.
Although the petition had been dismissed last month due to the absence of Bushra Bibi’s lawyers, a plea was submitted on the same day to restore it.
Bushra Bibi was arrested on January 31 following an Islamabad accountability court’s sentencing of her and Imran to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana reference. While their sentences in the Toshakhana case were suspended by the IHC on April 1, Bushra Bibi remains in custody in the Iddat case, and Imran is detained in other cases.
After the Toshakhana verdict, Bushra Bibi surrendered to authorities at Adiala Jail, where she was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Later, her Banigala residence was declared a sub-jail through a late-night notification, and she was moved there. However, her transfer to the residence has been a subject of debate, with both her and her husband denying submitting any application for its designation as a sub-jail.
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Almost a week after her arrest, Bushra Bibi contested the residence’s status as a sub-jail, urging the IHC to allow her to serve her sentence in Adiala Jail. In a subsequent hearing, the Adiala Jail administration opposed her relocation, citing security concerns due to overcrowding.
In March, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb inquired whether authorities had obtained Imran’s permission before converting their Banigala residence into a sub-jail.
