The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has ruled that Bushra Bibi, wife of imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, cannot be arrested in any case for the next 14 days. The court also issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the matter.
A bench consisting of Justice Shakeel Ahmed and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah presided over the hearing on Tuesday. During the proceedings, Bushra Bibi’s lawyer informed the court that multiple cases have been registered against her across various provinces, but the details of these cases have not been provided. The lawyer requested that Bushra Bibi not be arrested. Justice Shakeel Ahmed noted that no case had been filed against her in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), a point the lawyer confirmed, explaining that this was why Bushra Bibi had approached the high court.
Justice Sahibzada Asadullah inquired whether protective bail could be granted in the absence of any cases in the province. The lawyer responded by emphasizing that the law and constitution provide protection to all citizens, and that the PHC had previously granted protective bail in similar situations. The court subsequently requested details of the cases from agencies like the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the FIA. After receiving protective bail, Bushra Bibi withdrew her application for interim bail, considering it unnecessary. She left the court after securing her bail.
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Bushra Bibi had filed petitions in the PHC seeking details of the cases against her and requesting transit bail to allow her to appear in court. Her attorney, Alam Khan Adenzai, submitted two separate petitions. The first petition called for the authorities to disclose all cases registered against her, stating that, as the spouse of the PTI chairman, she had a legal right to be informed about the charges. She expressed that despite multiple cases being filed by the federal government, she was unaware of their specifics or locations. Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim reviewed this petition on Tuesday.
The second petition sought transit bail, naming the federal government and other relevant departments as respondents. Bushra Bibi explained that due to the various cases filed against her by the government, she intended to appear before the courts but was concerned about possible arrest, prompting her request for transit bail.
Additionally, Bushra Bibi’s interim bail in the Toshakhana fake receipts case was extended to November 4 by an Additional District and Sessions Judge. The court also granted her a one-day exemption from attendance due to illness. During the hearing, her lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, informed the court of her health issues following her release from jail. He added that arguments regarding the bail applications would be presented at the next hearing. Both Bushra Bibi and the PTI founder have filed for bail in the Toshakhana case, with Imran Khan also seeking bail in two other cases related to vandalism and protests.