Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are reportedly being subjected to increasingly harsh and degrading prison conditions, sparking fresh concerns over political persecution and human rights violations. According to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, both have faced psychological torment, with Bibi’s health said to be deteriorating significantly due to extreme heat and poor treatment.
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, a trusted aide to Khan, accused the prison staff of intentionally sending substandard fans, reducing electricity at the hottest time of the day, and even distributing polluted water to Bibi. He termed it emotionally focused abuse aimed at crushing the couple’s morale. “By torturing her, they know how much it pains Imran Khan,” he maintained.
Khan and Bibi were found guilty earlier this year in the Al-Qadir Trust case and received sentences of 14 and 7 years respectively on charges of suspected corruption related to land and money laundering. PTI insists that the charges are politically motivated. As Khan enters his second year behind bars, he is confronted with close to 150 other cases from corruption to terrorism.
The party also claimed Khan has been kept in prolonged isolation without access to legal counsel, undermining PTI’s political coordination. “We don’t have direction on what Imran Khan wants on certain matters,” Bukhari noted.
The development has elicited little global reaction. “Plenty of countries that chant so much about democracy and human rights don’t notice what is occurring within a country of 250 million,” Bukhari complained, blaming the international community for its silence regarding Pakistan’s democratic regression.
Khan’s sons recently issued public appeals for international intervention, including a plea to US President Donald Trump. The PTI also accused prison authorities of mistreating Bibi’s teenage daughter during a failed visit.
Punjab’s home department has yet to respond to the allegations.