GENEVA, Dec 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The wife of Pakistan's former prime minister 
Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could pose a serious risk to her 
physical and mental health, a UN expert warned Wednesday.

Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations' special rapporteur on torture and 
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, urged the 
Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to address the situation.

Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted of graft in January, and they 
were sentenced to 14 years and seven years in prison, respectively.

And on Saturday, a Pakistani court sentenced them to 17 years for corruption 
involving gifts the jailed ex-premier received while in office.

Both Khan and Bibi were handed a 10-year prison sentence on criminal breach 
of trust, and seven years on corruption charges in a case alleging the 
underpricing of state gifts.

"The state has an obligation to protect Mrs. Khan's health and ensure 
conditions of detention compatible with human dignity," Edwards said in a 
statement.

Bibi is reportedly confined to a small and dirty cell which is often dark due 
to power cuts, said Edwards.

"Such conditions fall far below minimum international standards," said 
Edwards.

"No detainee should be exposed to extreme heat, contaminated food or water, 
or conditions that aggravate existing medical conditions."

Reports also indicate that she is often in near-total isolation for more than 
22 hours a day.

"The authorities must ensure Mrs. Khan has the possibility to communicate 
with her lawyers and receive visits from family members, and have meaningful 
human contact throughout her detention," Edwards said.

The special rapporteur has formally raised Bibi's situation with the 
government in Islamabad.

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights 
Council. They do not speak for the United Nations itself.

Earlier this month, Edwards said Khan was being held in conditions that could 
amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.

She urged the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the 73-year-old's 
conditions of detention fully complied with international norms.

Khan, who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, 
upended Pakistani politics by becoming the prime minister in 2018.

He was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote after losing favour with the 
military.

The former cricket star has been held in custody since August 2023, charged 
in dozens of cases that he claims are politically motivated.