ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed four PTI lawyers to meet with party founder Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition against the two-week ban on meetings with Adiala inmates including Imran, where the jail superintendent informed the court about receiving several requests for meetings with the former premier.
He added that they had orders to allow six people apart from the lawyers to meet Imran and said it was impossible for them to allow six people daily in a jail that houses seven thousand prisoners.
Justice Tahir, expressing his displeasure, said the jail superintendent had been giving new excuses during every hearing. “If you do not follow court orders, why should we not initiate contempt proceedings against you?”
In response, the jail official informed the judge that he “does follow court orders” and showed the notification by the Punjab Home Department. “We had allowed the (PTI counsels) to meet on your terms and we already have contempt pleas pending against you,” replied the judge.
As the hearing resumed after a short break, PTI counsel Sher Afzal Marwat informed the court that they had designed a mechanism with the jail superintendent. The judge, while keeping the petition on hold, directed Marwat to appoint a focal person and make SOPs for meetings with the PTI founder.
Marwat told the judge that a group of four people was to meet Imran today and on next Tuesday.
The prison officer informed the judge that they had directions from the provincial home department to not allow meetings with any jail inmate, to which the judge remarked “they (Home Department) cannot direct you, it is your discretion”.
The court then ordered four PTI lawyers to meet with Imran in jail today.The Punjab Home Department on Tuesday imposed a two-week ban on prisoner visitations as well as media coverage at Adiala Jail, which houses high-profile political figures including Imran.
In orders issued to the Punjab police chief, the department maintained that the decision was made in light of a ‘threat alert’ issued for the prison by the law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
