UN body raises serious concerns over Bushra Bibi’s prison conditions

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, is being held in conditions that could pose a serious threat to her physical and mental health.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UN human rights commissioner urged authorities concerned to take immediate action to address the situation.

The 73-year-old Bushra Bibi has been in jail since January 2025 in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Last week, she was sentenced to an additional 17 years in the Tosha Khana II case.

UN Special Representative on Violence, Alice Jill Edwards, said: “It is the responsibility of the state to protect Mrs Khan’s health and ensure detention conditions that are in line with human dignity.”

According to the statement, reports indicate that Bushra Bibi is allegedly being held in a small, windowless, poorly ventilated cell that is filthy, extremely hot, and infested with insects and rats. Allegedly, power outages plunge the cell into darkness. The reports said that she is provided with unsafe drinking water and food that is inedible due to excessive spices.

In April this year, the Advocate General’s Office submitted a report to the Islamabad High Court from the jail superintendent stating that Bushra Bibi is being kept in a separate, spacious cell and is medically examined twice daily. She has been provided with a mattress, chair, table, bookshelf, as well as lighting and a fan.

The report said that she has been given a room cooler during summer and access to an LCD facility in the jail. Bushra Bibi has a separate kitchen facility to prepare her meals, which are first inspected by the medical officer.

Health and isolation concerns

The UN report further stated that “due to these conditions, her weight has dropped by nearly 15 kilograms. She suffers from repeated infections, fainting episodes, pus in teeth, and untreated medical complications including stomach ulcers. The stomach ulcer reportedly developed in the early period of her detention due to contaminated food.”

The statement added that “reports indicate Bushra Bibi is often kept in complete isolation for more than 22 hours a day, with periods sometimes exceeding 10 days. She lacks access to exercise, reading material, legal consultation, family visits, or her personal physicians.”

Edwards said: “Authorities must ensure that Mrs Khan has the opportunity to communicate with her lawyers and meet family members, and that meaningful human contact is maintained during detention.”

The special representative further warned that “such prolonged isolation increases psychological stress and obstructs access to essential protective measures. Combined with untreated medical needs, this poses a severe risk.”

The statement concluded that the UN special representative has formally raised Bushra Bibi’s situation with the Government of Pakistan and will continue to closely monitor any developments.