Pakistan's jailed former PM Imran Khan claims wife Bushra Bibi poisoned in sub-jail
Islamabad, Apr 2: Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said his wife and former first lady Bushra Bibi was poisoned while incarcerated at his private residence here which was turned into a sub-jail, emphasising that the army chief should be held responsible if she is harmed.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader during the hearing of the 190 million pound Toshakhana corruption case in Adiala jail informed Judge Nasir Javed Rana that there had been an attempt to poison the former first lady and added that she had marks on her skin and tongue as a side effect of the "poisoning".
“I know who is behind it," The Express Tribune newspaper quoted the 71-year-old PTI founder as saying.
Khan said that if any harm came to Bushra, the Pakistan Army chief (General Asim Munir) should be held responsible as members of an intelligence agency were controlling everything at his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad and Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.
Khan further urged the court to order 49-year-old Bushra's medical examination by Dr. Asim of Shaukat Khanum Hospital, adding that he and the party did not trust the doctor who examined her earlier.
He also urged to have an inquiry into the matter of Bushra’s alleged poisoning.
Following the former premier’s request, the court directed Khan to submit a detailed application about the former first lady's medical examination.
Talking to the media after the hearing, Bushra said rumours regarding her being an "American agent" were circulating in the party and that she was poisoned through a popular toilet cleaner.
She said "three drops" of a popular toilet cleaner were added to her food, claiming that a person's health deteriorates after a month of consumption.
"My eyes swell up, I feel pain and discomfort in my chest and stomach and food and water also taste bitter. Some suspicious substance was mixed in honey earlier and now the toilet cleaner was mixed in my food," claimed the former first lady.
"I was told by someone in jail about what was added to my food. I will not reveal any names," she said.
Bushra informed the court that she had been kept decently at the Bani Gala sub-jail but added that she was not allowed to open the windows for a while.
Earlier, PTI claimed Bushra was fed "poisonous food" during her incarceration, asserting that she had been in severe pain.
A PTI spokesperson expressing concerns regarding "serious threats" to Bushra Bibi's life while in detention said in a statement: "Bushra's health and life are being seriously endangered by the denial of her constitutional right to medical examination."The spokesperson further alleged that Bushra Bibi's family had been barred from visiting her, a move they deemed to be a violation of both the Constitution and jail regulations.
The statement asserted the restriction was part of a "deliberate plan" to cause harm to her.
Earlier in January, Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years of jail in the Toshakhana corruption case about the illegal sale of state gifts which the former premier received during his term.
Toshakhana is a department under the cabinet division in Pakistan that stores gifts and other valuables received by officials. The officials must report all the gifts they receive to the department.
Khan was lodged in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi while Bushra Bibi was incarcerated at Khan's Bani Gala home after it was declared a sub-jail.
On Bushra Bibi’s conviction, Khan’s PTI party had said that she had no link to the case and her conviction was only an effort to further pressurise the former prime minister.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of PTI, Barrister Gohar Khan said the former First Lady of Pakistan, Bushra Bibi, is being politically victimised.
"She is being kept in isolation, there are serious concerns of her being poisoned. Chairman Imran Khan has expressed similar concerns regarding his wife’s health. The powerful circles of the country will be held accountable for any misadventure," the party quoted him as saying in a post on X.
Since his removal from power in a no-confidence motion in April 2022, the cricketer-turned-politician has been convicted in at least four cases, including the cipher case.
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SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam
New Delhi, Apr 29: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. It, however, refused to stay for now the cancellation of the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, however, refused to stay the high court order cancelling the appointments and said it will hear the matter on May 6.
Observing that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons is a serious matter, the top court asked if it is possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud are.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the central agency to submit a report within three months.
"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the high court said in its April 22 order.
The high court said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, appointed after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets but obtained appointment to return all remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent interest per annum within four weeks.
Observing that it had given "anxious consideration to the passionate plea" that persons who obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process was cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left.
The high court held that all appointments involved were violative of articles 14 (equality before law) and 16 (prohibiting discrimination in employment in any government office) of the Constitution.
"It is shocking that, at the level of the cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing fully well that, such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum," the high court had said.
It said unless "there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries" with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is "inconceivable".
The division bench had also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order and asked the commission to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench, constituted by the high court chief justice on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016.
In its 282-page judgment, the high court had said retaining appointees selected through "such a dubious process" would be contrary to public interest.
