Attorney General says prison warden has power to decide which facilities a prisoner should receive and not
Bushra Bibi addresses PTI supporters alongside KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur and Opposition Leader Omar Ayub. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition seeking family reunions with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, access to her personal doctor and provision of essential items.
The case, heard by Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, involved a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s daughter Mubashra Maneka. The petition asked for regular family meetings to be allowed, access to a private doctor and the provision of essential items.
During the hearing, lawyer Salman Akram Raja argued that meetings with Bushra Bibi had been severely restricted despite his health condition.
“Meetings were held on April 17; that was the day his operation was carried out,” Raja told the court. “It was an emergency meeting that lasted only a few minutes.”
He said the last regular weekly meeting was held on February 24, after which no routine meetings were allowed for seven weeks, with only emergency meetings permitted.
Questioning the restrictions, Raja asked: “What violation of rule 265 did Bushra Bibi commit?
He argued that the restrictions were unjustified, adding that it was known that Bushra Bibi was not feeling well and had undergone surgery.
Read: Prison rejects daughter’s request to meet Bushra
He added, “Their whole argument is that there are certain tweets of Maryam Wattoo due to which meetings are not allowed. Whenever they feel like it, they stop the meetings,” he added.
Referring to the documents presented in court, he said, “Maryam Riaz Wattoo’s Twitter account was mentioned in court. They presented tweets of Maryam Riaz Wattoo, but this woman is not even in Pakistan.”
“If there is no connection, then there is no need to read his tweets,” Justice Tahir observed.
On May 4, the court had ordered Adiala Prison Superintendent Sajid Baig to rule within two days on an application filed by Bushra’s daughter Bibi regarding medical access and family visits, and to appear in person on May 6.
Baig, in a written report submitted Wednesday to the IHC, objected to the request, saying family gatherings were followed by public political statements and social media activity, which the administration said affected prison discipline and security.
The report submitted by prison authorities specifically referred to social media posts attributed to Bushra Bibi’s sister Maryam Riaz Wattoo, claiming that tweets were shared after family gatherings with the former first lady.
The lawyer added that the case had been going on for years and the defense lawyer had been repeatedly appearing in court for three years.
“We are told that it is the ‘king”s order that meetings cannot take place,” he added. “I don’t know if it’s the wisdom of the prison director or if he’s acting under some sort of order,” he said.
“Whenever they feel like it, they keep her in solitary confinement for two to three months,” he added.
After concluding his arguments, Advocate General Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik presented the government’s position, arguing that prison authorities have discretionary powers over the facilities of inmates and the prison superintendent has the discretion to decide which facilities a prisoner can enjoy or not.
Learn more: IHC summons Adiala prison director in Bushra Bibi case, demands medical and visitation reports
He raised objections to the maintainability of the petition, saying it was “not maintainable” because the petitioner had another forum, namely the Inspector General of Prisons, against the order of the prison superintendent.
He added that prisoners are required to maintain good behavior and disciplinary action can be taken in cases of violations.
“We are bound by the law; there is no king here, everything is done according to the law,” adding that no meeting can take place without the authorization of the prison director.
Malik also claimed that an affidavit submitted by lawyer Salman Akram Raja was already recorded, stating that he would not speak to the media after the jail meetings.
Raja denied this, saying no such affidavit had been provided. He clarified that his position was limited to not speaking outside the prison after the meetings. He further told the court that he was advised to speak elsewhere, adding: “You yourself told me that I can speak in the chamber or elsewhere,” he said while addressing Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir.
Malik insisted that an undertaking existed in the file; however, Judge Tahir responded by emphasizing that he was aware of the order, saying: “I wrote this decision myself, I know that. »
Following arguments from both parties, the court reserved its verdict.
Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi. They were sentenced on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which concerns allegations that the couple illegally kept a Bulgari jewelry set given by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Bushra Bibi was transferred to Adiala Prison on April 17 after a crucial eye operation in Rawalpindi, as concerns over her health continue to reverberate in political circles. According to prison officials, ophthalmologists diagnosed a retinal detachment, a condition that requires immediate intervention.
She was transferred to a private hospital on the evening of April 30, where she underwent pre-operative examinations and later consented to surgery. The procedure was carried out by Prof Dr Nadeem Qureshi with a medical committee, after which she was released after a night and returned to custody.
Concerns about her condition had already increased after a document dated March 28 surfaced online, stating that a doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences had examined her and noted “blurred vision and a black spot in her right eye for the past 11 days.”
