Pakistan: UN expert warns detention of Bushra Bibi Khan risks serious harm

 

A United Nations expert has raised serious concerns about the detention conditions of Bushra Bibi Khan, warning that they may endanger her physical and mental health.

 

 

 

 

Speaking from Geneva, Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, urged Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to protect her health and dignity.

 

 

 

 

Bushra Bibi Khan, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, is currently held at Adiala Jail. According to reports received by the UN, she is confined to a small, poorly ventilated cell that is extremely hot, dirty, and infested with insects and rodents. Frequent power cuts reportedly leave her in complete darkness for long periods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is also said to receive unsafe drinking water and food made barely edible due to excessive chili powder. As a result, she has reportedly lost around 15 kilograms, suffered repeated infections, fainted several times, and has not received proper treatment for serious conditions such as a tooth abscess and a stomach ulcer. The ulcer is linked to earlier allegations that contaminated food was served to her during detention.

“These conditions fall far below international standards,” Edwards said, stressing that detainees must not be exposed to extreme heat, contaminated food or water, or neglect that worsens existing health problems.

 

 

 

 

The UN expert also expressed concern over reports that Bushra Bibi Khan is kept in near-total isolation for more than 22 hours a day, sometimes for over ten consecutive days. During these periods, she allegedly has no access to exercise, reading materials, legal counsel, family visits, or her personal doctors.

 

 

 

Edwards warned that prolonged isolation can cause severe psychological harm, especially when combined with untreated medical needs. She emphasized that authorities must ensure regular contact with lawyers and family, as well as meaningful human interaction.

Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has himself been detained since August 2023.

 

 

 

 

The UN Special Rapporteur has formally taken up Bushra Bibi Khan’s case with the Government of Pakistan and said she will continue to closely monitor the situation.