ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday removed the objections of the registrar office on an intra court appeal seeking provision of security and facilities to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.
The court directed the registrar office to fix the case for hearing.
A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, heard the case. During the hearing, Sher Afzal Marawat Advocate, the petitioner’s legal representative, read out the verdict of a single-member bench issued on September 25 regarding the transfer of Imran Khan to Adiala Jail.
The lawyer said that the single-member bench had not passed any order regarding the provision of facilities to the chairman PTI and permissions to meet his lawyers and family members.
Read more: Bushra Bibi moves IHC for Imran’s protection
Marawat highlighted that the previous ruling did not address the provision of essential facilities to Imran Khan or permissions for meetings with legal counsel and family members.
He informed the court that, currently, the jail administration permitted the PTI chief’s family to visit him twice a week, with only four lawyers being granted access. He requested the court to amend the single-member bench’s judgment.
In response, the court issued instructions in line with Marawat’s request.
Meanwhile, former first lady Bushra Bibi approached the IHC seeking an early hearing into the petition seeking security for her husband Imran Khan.
Read Bushra fears Imran could be ‘poisoned’ in Adiala Jail
Sardar Latif Khosa said that the registrar office had fixed the case for October 25, for further hearing and prayed the court to fix it early.
In her petition, Bushra expressed the fear that her husband might be poisoned through food in the jail. She said that Imran was not allowed the home-cooked meal – a facility provided to under-trial prisoners in the past.
She contended that any adulterated food could be harmful to Imran’s life.
Bushra also claimed that the PTI chairman was not being provided the facilities he was entitled to under the Jail Manual. She added that “the inhumane treatment” meted out to her husband in jail was in violation of articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution.
Earlier, the police ramped up security in the vicinity of the Adiala Jail by deploying elite commandos and setting up additional security pickets to ensure foolproof measures.
Imran was shifted to the Adiala Jail on Sept 26 on the IHC’s order. Before his transfer to the Adiala Jail, deposed prime minister was lodged in the Attock District Jail after his conviction in the Toshakhana case.