Adiala report confirmed PTI founder's solitary confinement, says Salman Safdar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar on Thursday rejected the report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent on the alleged solitary confinement of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, alleging that Imran Khan had complained of mental torture.

The arguments were made during the hearing of a case against the alleged solitary confinement of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Barrister Salman Safdar informed the court that he had met Imran Khan as a friend of the court on the directions of the Supreme Court. He said that after the intervention of the Chief Justice, he was allowed a 65-minute meeting with Imran Khan in April.

“During the 65-minute meeting, Imran Khan spent around 60 minutes discussing mental torture and solitary confinement,” he told the court.

According to the lawyer, Imran Khan told him that he was being kept in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day, while Bushra Bibi was allegedly kept in isolation for 24 hours.

Safdar said Imran Khan had access to a television, but no channels were aired, while books were also not being provided to him.

He further claimed that meetings between Imran Khan and his sisters were not taking place and that he had not been allowed to speak to his sons over the phone for the past eight months, which was not mentioned in the jail superintendent’s report.

“My clients are being kept in solitary confinement. The issue is not the size of the cell or the space where they can walk around,” Safdar said.

Read more: Adiala Jail superintendent denies solitary confinement of PTI founder, Bushra Bibi

He questioned the reliance on the report of the same jail superintendent against whom allegations had been made, saying the report did not provide complete details about meetings, phone conversations with sons, or medical examinations.

Safdar also said that since both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were incarcerated, arrangements should be made to allow them to meet and have meals together at least once a week.

“The report of the Adiala Jail superintendent is not correct and does not address the issues. In fact, it confirms that the PTI founder is being kept in solitary confinement,” he added.

Earlier, the Adiala Jail superintendent had informed the IHC that neither Imran Khan nor Bushra Bibi was being kept in solitary confinement, stating that such a practice had largely been abolished in the prison system. The jail authorities said both prisoners were being provided facilities according to prison rules.