The Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s visitation rights twice a week.
The IHC administration had constituted a three-member larger bench — headed by newly appointed Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar — to hear all 26 petitions related to the visitation rights and jail conditions of Imran.
The bench, led by Justice Dogar and including Justices Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Muhammad Azam Khan, heard the petition.
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.
During hearing, Imran’s 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 SOPs [standard operating procedures], our meeting was not held on March 20,” Abbas said.
Justice Dogar observed that this was a small matter, which had been settled in the intra-court appeal.“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.During the hearing, Advocate Naveed Malik representing the jail superintendent argued that the meetings were being held twice a week until December up to Imran and Bushra Bibi’s conviction in January.
“The status of the founder of PTI has changed after being convicted in jail,” he said.He further 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 IHC CJ Dogar questioned Malik, “You are saying that, instead of holding two meetings for two days, you are holding two meetings in one day?”
