The wife of Imran Khan, The former Pakistani prime minister, Bushra Bibi, was released from Adiala Jail on Thursday, nine months after her imprisonment alongside her husband in the lead-up to the national elections, according to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Bibi had been convicted of graft and illegal marriage in the run-up to the February elections, a case that Imran Khan claimed was part of a wider campaign to sideline him from the political process.
However, her illegal marriage conviction was overturned on appeal, and her graft sentence was suspended, paving the way for her release.
On Wednesday, Bibi was also granted bail in a separate pending case.
Following her release, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan confirmed that Bibi was en route to her residence in Islamabad.
He accused the authorities of using her imprisonment as leverage against her husband, saying, “She was kept in jail to put pressure on Imran Khan.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all PTI supporters on the release of Bushra Bibi, and we offer our gratitude to God.”
Imran Khan remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail, serving a 14-year sentence on a graft charge.
He was sentenced just days after receiving a 10-year prison term in a separate case involving state secrets, both handed down just before the February 2024 national elections.
Khan and Bibi were found guilty of receiving illicit gifts during his time as prime minister.
The couple married in 2018, shortly before Khan became Pakistan’s prime minister.
Since his ousting, Khan has faced multiple legal battles, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated to prevent his return to power.
In June 2024, a Pakistan high court overturned Khan’s treason conviction, which was one of three major cases brought against him before the February elections.
Despite the ruling, Khan remains imprisoned on other charges.
PTI lawyer Salman Safdar celebrated the court’s decision, calling it a victory against what he described as political victimization.
“This is the first big case of political victimization against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi that has been dashed to the ground,” Safdar said outside the court.
AFP
