Imran Khan's Wife Bushra Bibi To Be Transferred To The Same Jail As Him; Pakistan Court Orders

In a major legal victory for Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi, a high court here on Wednesday ordered the former first lady's transfer from her private residence, designated as a sub-jail, to the Adiala jail where the ex-premier is incarcerated.

Bushra Bibi, 49, had been incarcerated at Banigala, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder's mansion in the suburbs of Islamabad, after conviction in two cases while Khan, 71, was kept at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. She had petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision to keep her at Banigala while seeking repatriation to Adiala jail.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb had last week reserved his verdict in the case. In its order, the court announced the notification to declare Banigala, a sub-jail, "null and void" and ordered the former first lady be shifted to the Adiala Jail.

Bibi was taken to the Adiala Jail on Wednesday for a hearing in another case but it was unclear when she will be shifted. Bibi was arrested on January 31 this year after an Islamabad accountability court sentenced her and Khan to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case. While their sentences in the Toshakhana corruption case were suspended by the IHC, Bushra Bibi remains in custody in the 'un-Islamic' marriage case, while Khan also remains incarcerated in other cases.

The verdict comes as a victory for Bibi and her spouse who have challenged various cases against them in the higher courts of Pakistan. Since his removal from power in a no-confidence motion in April 2022, the cricketer-turned-politician has been convicted in at least four cases, including the cipher (secret diplomatic communication) case.