Court restores former PM Imran's rights to meet visitors twice a week

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restored incarcerated Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan’s rights to receive visitors in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi twice a week.

His counsel Zaheer Abbas said that the PTI founder was scheduled to meet his family and lawyers on Tuesday and his friends on Thursday. "As per standard operating procedures (SOPS) our meeting was not held on March 20,” he said.

The IHC bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and including Justices Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Muhammad Azam Khan, heard the petition.

Justice Dogar observed that this was a small matter, which had been settled in the intra-court appeal. All 26 petitions — including the contempt of court applications against Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum — were transferred to the larger bench on the Adiala Jail official’s request, which cited logistical challenges in appearing before multiple benches.

"As per SOPs, our meeting on Thursday is not being held,” PTI Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja reiterated. "The SOPs for Tuesday and Thursday meetings were fixed in the appeal,” Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir noted.

Advocate Naveed Malik representing the jail superintendent argued that the meetings were being held twice a week until December up to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s conviction in January. "The status of the founder of PTI has changed after being convicted in jail,” he said.

He said that the two meetings were held on Tuesday instead of two days because of security threats.

"According to the jail rules, the superintendent of Adiala Jail has the authority to schedule the meetings accordingly,” he added.

Lawyer Naveed Malik alleged that the PTI leaders misused the privilege of the meetings and made political statements outside Adiala jail. "After the meeting, they come outside the jail and make political statements — this is a violation,” he said.

Acting Dogar questioned Malik, "You are saying that, instead of holding two meetings for two days, you are holding two meetings in one day?”

Meanwhile, Lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat contended that "all these things were settled in the appeal.” "Salman Akram Raja is the coordinator, we will listen to him,” the acting chief justice remarked, adding that "every person comes with a request to meet Imran Khan in jail.”

Malik reiterated that PTI leaders used the meetings for "political purposes”, adding that 98 applications had been disposed of on the topic. "If you had implemented it, 98 applications would not have been filed,” Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir retorted.

"What is the need for media talk after jail meetings? Just have the meeting and leave,” Justice Dogar remarked. "We take an undertaking from them that they will not talk to the media after jail meetings.”

"It is a small matter, instead of one day, they want to meet for two days - think about it,” the acting chief justice told Lawyer Naveed Malik