Pakistan's ousted and imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday met his wife Bushra Bibi at the Attock jail for the first time since his arrest last week in connection with the Toshakhana case. This comes after his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has alleged that he was kept in appalling 'C-class' conditions and was denied legal access.
In a video message on X, formerly called Twitter, Khan's lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha said that the meeting between Khan and his wife last about an hour. According to Bushra, the PTI chief was in good health but kept in C-class conditions.
"The legal team was not allowed to meet despite the order of the High Court. We will take up the matter in the High Court tomorrow," the lawyer said, adding that the cricketer-turned-politician has vowed to not "bow to slavery".
The 48-year-old Bushra Bibi is Imran Khan's third wife and is known in Pakistan as a spiritual leader and for her devotion to Sufism. She is facing some of the corruption charges in the case that led to the PTI chief's arrest on May 9.
The Attock prison in eastern Punjab province, where Khan is imprisoned, has a notorious reputation for its harsh conditions and its inmates include convicted militants. The ousted PM's lawyers said the 70-year-old leader living in "distress" and added he does not wish to remain in prison.
According to sources of the Pakistani English daily, Geo News, the PTI chief is "unhappy" and "worried" as he remains holed up inside his prison cell in "distressing" conditions. Khan, who met his legal team after two staying two days inside the premises, said, "Take me out of here; I don't want to remain in jail."
Earlier on Monday, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded Khan's immediate release and claimed there were "threats" to his life. In a video statement, Mr Qureshi claimed that the Attock Jail lacked "B-Class facilities".
Last week, Khan was arrested shortly after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison. The court likewise forced a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Imran and if he neglects to do as such, he will have to stay in prison for six extra months.
Lahore Police arrested him even though the court had ordered Islamabad Police to put him behind bars. The ousted premier has also been disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for five years after his conviction.
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