Pakistan: Bushra Bibi fears 'poison' plot against husband Imran Khan in jail

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi has expressed fears regarding her husband's safety at District Jail Attock, Punjab saying his life might be at risk due to the possibility of poisoning while in custody. An Islamabad court on August 5 found Imran Khan guilty in a case related to the non-disclosure of information about state gifts and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Following the verdict, he was apprehended by Punjab police from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, and taken to District Jail Attock. Imran Khan's lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha, has repeatedly criticised the conditions under which the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is being held.

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Panjutha on August 7 met Imran Khan in jail. After the visit, he revealed, “I asked Khan sahib about the situation in jail after his arrest. He said he is being kept in a dark, small, C-Class, chakki wala (manual labour) room. He said there is an open washroom there, which does not have a shower. He said the jail has flies in the morning and insects in the evening." 

Bushra Bibi's letter 

Bushra Bibi, in a letter dated August 17, addressed to the Punjab home secretary, sought her husband's transfer from District Jail Attock to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. She expressed apprehension that Imran Khan's life might be at risk due to the possibility of poisoning while in custody.

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“He may be poisoned in the jail through food as the ones responsible and perpetrators of previous attacks are still at large and have not been captured by the law enforcement agencies,” Bushra said in the letter.

Calls for legal inquiry

Bushra Bibi questioned the justification for her husband's detention at Attock jail and underscored his eligibility for B-Class facilities based on his stature and achievements. She cited his role as the former captain of Pakistan's national cricket team, his status as an Oxford University alumnus, and his past position as the prime minister of Pakistan.

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“It was duty of the jail authorities to provide him all the facilities within 48 hours but even after lapse of 12 days no facility whatsoever has been provided which is disgrace to the leader of the largest political party,” she said. “An exhaustive legal inquiry be undertaken to elucidate the legality of his current detention within your jurisdiction,” she appealed to the provincial home secretary.

In addition to requesting B-Class facilities, Bushra Bibi asked for provisions such as access to home-cooked meals and the ability to consult his personal physician.