ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that imprisoned opposition leader and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan, will be allowed to meet visitors twice a week under strict conditions. However, those visiting him at Adiala Jail will be prohibited from making public statements after the meetings.
The decision was made by a larger bench led by Acting Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, along with Justices Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Azam Khan. The court was hearing over 20 petitions related to Khan’s visitation rights.
According to the ruling, only individuals approved by PTI coordinator Salman Akram Raja can visit Khan on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The court also directed petitioners to approach the trial court regarding Khan’s request for telephonic contact with his children.
PTI’s lawyer, Zaheer Abbas, argued that jail authorities had failed to facilitate scheduled meetings, despite adherence to standard procedures. However, the prison authorities, represented by lawyer Naveed Malik, defended their stance, citing security concerns. They explained that meetings were initially allowed twice a week but were later merged into one day due to threats.
Jail officials accused Khan and his visitors of using these meetings for political purposes, violating regulations by addressing the media afterward. The superintendent of Adiala Jail requested that the meetings be limited to once a week.
The court questioned the need for media interactions after jail visits. “What is the need for a media talk after a jail meeting? Just have the meeting and leave,” remarked Acting Chief Justice Dogar.
Ultimately, the IHC restored the twice-weekly meetings under strict supervision, allowing only nominated visitors and banning media interactions. The court instructed jail authorities to enforce the rules fairly while maintaining security.
