Islamabad: In a dramatic claim, incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said his wife Bushra Bibi was served food laced with toilet cleaner that caused daily stomach irritation, according to media reports. In his remarks. Bushra Bibi, 49, is currently detained at their Bani Gala residence in Islamabad after getting convicted in a corruption case and another related to her illegal marriage.
Imran made the allegations during the hearing of a corruption case before an accountability court in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, reported the Express Tribune. The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said a doctor had recommended conducting Bushra Bibi's tests at Shifa International Hospital, but the jail administration remained adamant about conducting the test at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.
The court advised Imran to refrain from holding "press conferences" during the hearings, to which he responded by stating that his statements are misquoted and he engages with journalists to clarify them. When the court stressed the importance of decorum by addressing the media after the hearing, the former PM said the jail administration removes the media from the courtroom once the hearing is complete.
Bushra Bibi alleged she was served 'poisoned food'
This came after Bushra Bibi on April 15 filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and requested the court to conduct her check-up and medical tests from Shaukat Khanum Hospital or any other private hospital of her choice to examine if she was poisoned through contaminated food, as per local reports. She claimed to have been suffering from heartburn, aches in her throat and mount as a result of eating "poisoned food".
"My eyes swell up, I feel pain and discomfort in my chest and stomach and food and water also taste bitter. Some suspicious substance was mixed in honey earlier and now the toilet cleaner was mixed in my food," earlier claimed the former first lady. However, her personal physician said earlier this month that she had not been given any poisonous substance after conducting a medical checkup. “At this time, there is no evidence of Bushra Bibi being poisoned,” Dr Asim Yousuf said.
Bushra Bibi also alleged that spy cameras are installed at different places in the room where she has been confined. She said that there is only one lady deputed in the sub-jail while the rest of the staff is male and she feels discomfort in such an environment. She has urged the authorities to ensure the protection of her fundamental rights, saying she has not been given ample time to meet her family members and lawyers.
On April 17, Imran Khan alleged that Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir was directly responsible for the imprisonment of Bushra Bibi and warned the latter if anything happened to her. "If anything happens to my wife, I will not leave Asim Munir, I will not leave Asim Munir as long as I am alive. I will expose his unconstitutional and illegal steps," he said.
Court orders medical checkup of Imran Khan, his wife
Meanwhile, the Islamabad accountability court has accepted the requests for the medical examination of Imran Khan and his wife and directed Bushra Bibi's endoscopy to be supervised by Dr Asim Younus of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, owned by Imran's charitable organisation, along with a government doctor within two days.
"The jail authorities, under the control of the illegitimate regime, have repeatedly overruled court orders...What remains to be seen is whether they will comply with the court orders this time or not," said the PTI in a social media post. Additionally, the judge instructed the presentation of six witnesses related to the reference at the next hearing.
A Pakistani high court on Tuesday disposed of a petition filed by Bushra Bibi seeking her transfer to the high-security Adiala jail, where her husband, former prime minister Imran Khan is incarcerated. The Islamabad High Court disposed of her petition as her lawyers failed to turn up before the court.
Earlier in January, Imran and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case about the illegal sale of state gifts which the former premier received during his term. Imran was lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi while Bushra Bibi was incarcerated at his Bani Gala home after it was declared a sub-jail. The sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court on Monday.
(with inputs from agencies)
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