The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday admonished the chief commissioner and the Adiala Jail superintendent for not shifting Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister and ex-PTI chairman Imran Khan, from Bani Gala sub-jail to the Adiala Jail and not arranging her meeting with her husband, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

During the hearing of the petition, filed by the former first lady of Pakistan, seeking her transfer to the Adiala Jail and her meetings with her husband, the one-member bench of the IHC ordered arranging the meeting between the two once in a week.

The court also ordered that Imran be allowed to meet Bushra on Eidul Fitr.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb asked how on earth the government could declare a prisoner’s property a ‘sub-jail.

He directed the counsel for the government to give arguments on the next hearing.

Justice Aurangzeb asked the lawyer how many females were brought to the jail after January 31.

Assistant Superintendent Jail Waqiuz Zaman, on the occasion, submitted to the court a report in which it was informed that 141 females, who had been convicted in different cases, were brought to the jail.

He also submitted to the court a report detailing Bushra’s meetings with Imran during the jail trial of 190 million pounds case in which it was told that both met 10 times after January 31.

The state counsel informed the judge that on the court order, the director law had submitted a report on his visit to Bani Gala sub-jail.

Justice Aurangzeb ordered the counsel to provide a copy of the report to the petitioner in the case.   

On seeing the reports, the judge remarked that it all was politics. “State Counsel sahib, are you doing politics in the court?” he questioned.

“As many as 141 females were imprisoned in the jail after January 31 following their conviction, and you had said that there was no space in the jail since it was overcrowded,” Justice Aurangzeb said, adding, “When new female prisoners were brought to the jail, there was no excuse for not shifting Bushra there as she had requested.”

“You people have failed to satisfy us,” he remarked.

The judge asked why not the court should summon the chief commissioner and the advocate general. “You people are bent upon bringing down Pakistan’s position on the rule of law index to ‘nil’.”   

He went on to say that meeting on the date of the hearing was not called a ‘meeting’. “It is held in isolation; away from the glare of jail authorities.”  

Later, the court adjourned the case’s hearing for an indefinite time period.

Reporter: Ihtesham Kiani