The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Deputy Superintendent of Adiala Jail to ensure that Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), receives all the facilities he is entitled to under the jail manual.
This instruction came during a hearing prompted by a request from Noreen Niazi, who sought better conditions for Khan while in custody. Both the Deputy Superintendent of Adiala Jail and the DIG of Prisons were present in court.
The Deputy Superintendent informed the court that Khan was already being provided with all the necessary facilities in accordance with jail rules. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir asked for the Prisons Department representative, to which DIG Prisons Abdul Rauf confirmed his presence and noted that meetings with Khan had commenced. The Deputy Superintendent added that lawyers and family members had visited Khan the previous day.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir then inquired about lawyer Shoaib Shaheen, who was expected to confirm the availability of facilities. The hearing was temporarily adjourned until Shaheen arrived.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir also instructed that Khan be given access to newspapers. When the hearing resumed, Shaheen indicated that the court should request an affidavit to ensure that meetings would continue without restrictions, as prison officials had previously limited access due to security concerns.
Shoaib Shaheen further noted that a prior order from Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq had directed that if any threats existed in jail, Khan should be brought to the High Court. After this order, prison officials had pleaded to allow meetings to resume within the jail. Shaheen also stated that Khan had not yet been given newspapers.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir asked if the jail manual allowed for newspapers, to which the Deputy Superintendent confirmed that they were available. The judge warned the Deputy Superintendent against complicating matters unnecessarily.
Advocate Shoaib Shaheen mentioned that Khan was not permitted to make phone calls to his sons, with the Deputy Superintendent explaining that the jail manual prohibits WhatsApp calls. In response, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir instructed that communication should be facilitated, regardless of the method used. Shaheen added that Khan had previously been allowed to speak with his sons over the phone.
In another matter, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz of the IHC ordered that Azam Swati be presented in court at 9 AM the following day. Swati was represented by lawyers Ali Bukhari, Zakariya Arif, and Hassan Sajjad, and has filed for protective bail in several cases.
Regarding the GHQ attack case, Imran Khan is scheduled to receive case documents related to the May 9, 2023, incident on November 8. The Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi held a hearing at Adiala Jail, where charge sheets were presented for 32 accused individuals, including several notable PTI leaders.
The court was unable to distribute the documents for Khan during the session due to its cancellation, and PTI lawyers declined to collect the documents on his behalf without explicit instructions. PTI legal representative Faisal Malik stated, “We cannot accept the documents for our founding chairman without explicit guidance.” The court instructed the absent accused to collect their documents within two days, confirming that Khan would receive his on November 8, with an indictment expected on the same day.
