Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reinstated the right of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder to meet visitors twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while hearing petitions related to jail meetings.
A larger bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Muhammad Azam, issued the ruling, reaffirming the previously set Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for jail meetings.
Court’s Decision on Jail Visits
According to the IHC’s decision, only individuals nominated by PTI founder’s coordinator, Salman Akram Raja, will be allowed to meet him. The court has also strictly prohibited media interaction following these meetings to prevent political controversies.
Lawyers’ Arguments and Jail Authorities’ Response
During the hearing, PTI founder’s lawyer, Zaheer Abbas, argued that despite following the SOPs and submitting requests, jail authorities had failed to facilitate meetings. He particularly highlighted that a scheduled meeting on March 20 was not arranged.
In response, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir noted that the intra-court appeal had already established SOPs, allowing two meetings per week. The prison authorities, represented by lawyer Naveed Malik, defended their actions, stating that due to security concerns, they facilitated two meetings on a single day instead of separate meetings on different days.
Malik also explained that the PTI founder’s status in jail had changed after he and Bushra Bibi were convicted in January. He emphasized that under Adiala Jail regulations, the Superintendent holds the authority to decide on meeting schedules. The authorities further raised concerns that meetings were being used for political statements outside the jail.
Court’s Stance on Political Influence and Media Interaction
The court responded by stating that meeting arrangements should not be exploited for political purposes. Acting Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar suggested that visitors provide an undertaking stating they would refrain from making political statements post-meeting.
The IHC further ruled that any requests regarding meetings between the PTI founder and his children should be addressed by the trial court. However, it reaffirmed that only visitors nominated by Salman Akram Raja would be allowed to meet the PTI founder in jail.
