ISLAMABAD:
Former first lady Bushra Bibi’s health again took center stage in the Senate on Friday as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) renewed its protest over her reported medical condition, demanding access, disclosure of medical records and an independent parliamentary visit.
But the government rejected allegations of secrecy and insisted she was being treated strictly in accordance with prison laws.
The opposition party’s protest in the Senate came a day after it raised alarm and expressed outrage over reports that Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, had been “abruptly and discreetly” moved to a hospital in the dead of night before being returned to prison.
The reaction followed media reports on Wednesday evening claiming that Bushra Bibi, currently incarcerated in Adiala prison, was taken to a hospital under tight security for a follow-up eye examination.
On Friday, the Senate meeting chaired by Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani saw PTI Senator Mishal Yousafzai raise the issue alleging lack of transparency surrounding Bushra Bibi’s treatment.
She told Parliament that the former first lady had been taken to hospital “in the dark of night” while neither meetings with her were allowed nor her medical reports shared with the party.
Yousafzai reiterated her proposal that a Senate committee made up of members of the Upper House be allowed to meet Bushra Bibi and independently assess her condition.
In response to opposition criticism, the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the allegations and said that 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 external influence.
The minister said all inmates were provided healthcare, food and other essential facilities under standard operating procedures, without compromising their legal rights. He said medical emergencies were treated immediately, regardless of the time.
“If a prisoner needs urgent medical attention, the prison authorities are obliged to respond without delay,” he said, adding that urgent cases could not be detained until morning.
Dr. Tariq Fazal rejected suggestions about the timing or intent behind prisoner transfers or treatment decisions, saying all such actions were carried out strictly according to legal procedures, with prison authorities keeping full records of medical treatment and facilities, all subject to official control.
He further said that if Bushra Bibi sought any facilities beyond those permitted under the prison manual, legal access remained through the courts.
The minister also cautioned against politicizing matters relating to custody, stressing that the prison system operated within established legal and administrative rules.
Meanwhile, JUI-F Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman expressed grave concern over deteriorating law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing the recent killing of religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Idrees.
He said the pastor had been hit by a carefully executed daylight attack, adding that when his party tried to protest, the administration asked them to postpone demonstrations. “I said you kill us and then don’t even allow us to mourn,” 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.
