ISLAMABAD:
Former first lady Bushra Bibi’s health once again took center stage in the Senate on Friday as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) renewed its protest over her reported medical condition, demanding access, disclosure of medical records and an independent parliamentary visit.
However, the government rejected accusations of secrecy and insisted that she was treated strictly in accordance with prison laws.
The opposition party’s protest in the Senate came a day after it raised the alarm and expressed outrage over reports that Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi had been “roughly and discreetly” taken to a hospital in the dead of night before being returned to prison.
The reaction came following media reports on Wednesday night claiming that Bushra Bibi, currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail, was shifted to a hospital under tight security for a follow-up eye examination.
In the Senate session chaired by Senate President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday, PTI Senator Mishal Yousafzai raised the issue, alleging a lack of transparency over the treatment of Bushra Bibi.
He told the House that the former first lady had been taken to hospital “in the dead of the night”, with no meetings with her allowed or her medical reports shared with the party.
Yousafzai reiterated her proposal that a Senate committee composed of members of the Upper House be allowed to meet with Bushra Bibi and independently assess her condition.
Responding to criticism from the opposition, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry rejected the allegations and said the prisoners were treated strictly in accordance with established prison rules.
He told the Senate that judicial custody operated under a separate legal framework and was not subject to outside influences.
The minister said all inmates were provided with medical care, food and other essential facilities as per standard operating procedures, without compromising their legal rights. He said medical emergencies were attended to immediately, regardless of the time.
“If any prisoner needs urgent medical attention, prison authorities are obliged to respond without delay,” he said, adding that urgent cases cannot be delayed until the morning.
Rejecting suggestions about the timing or intent behind prisoner transfers or treatment decisions, Dr Tariq Fazal said all such actions were carried out strictly under legal procedures, and prison authorities kept full records of treatment and medical facilities, all subject to official scrutiny.
He further said that if Bushra Bibi sought facilities beyond those permitted in the jail manual, legal recourse through the courts remained available.
The minister also warned against the politicization of issues related to judicial custody, highlighting that the prison system operated within established legal and administrative norms.
Meanwhile, JUI-F Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, referring to the recent murder of religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Idrees.
He said the cleric had been the target of a carefully executed daytime attack, adding that when his party tried to protest, the administration asked them to postpone the demonstrations. “I said that they kill us and then they don’t even let us cry,” he remarked.
He questioned the state’s ability to protect citizens, criticized both the federal and provincial governments and said the JUI-F no longer felt safe in the province.
