Islamabad High Court Resumes Biweekly Jail Meetings for Imran Khan

Islamabad – The Islamabad High Court has reinstated the biweekly jail meetings for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, allowing him to meet with visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The decision was made during a hearing of petitions related to Imran Khan’s jail meetings, which was presided over by Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Muhammad Azam.

The lawyer representing the superintendent of Adiala Jail informed the court that until December, meetings were held according to the same SOPs. However, after January, Imran Khan’s status changed from an under-trial prisoner to a convicted prisoner, and there were also security concerns.

The lawyer stated that according to the jail manual, meetings with Imran Khan were being held on Tuesdays, but after January, his status changed to that of a convicted prisoner.

Acting Chief Justice Dogar remarked that many individuals submit requests for jail meetings, and the jail meetings are sometimes being used for political purposes. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir commented that the SOPs for meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays had been established in the appeal.

In response, Advocate Naveed Malik argued that due to security threats, only two meetings were held on Tuesdays instead of two days. He added that, according to jail rules, the superintendent of Adiala Jail has the authority to determine the meeting schedule.

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Salmān Akram Raja, representing Imran Khan’s legal team, requested that the two weekly meetings be resumed. The jail superintendent’s lawyer, however, stated that it was difficult to manage meetings for two days and that currently, all meetings were being held on one day.

The Acting Chief Justice noted that over 100 petitions regarding jail meetings had been filed, with nearly 98 of them resolved. He emphasized the desire to resolve this matter conclusively through the larger bench.

Chief Justice Dogar also questioned the need for media talks after jail meetings, suggesting that an undertaking be taken from visitors that they would not hold media briefings after their meetings with Imran Khan.

The Islamabad High Court issued a ruling allowing Imran Khan’s biweekly jail meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was also specified that only individuals nominated by Imran Khan’s coordinators would be allowed to meet him, and no media briefings would be allowed after the meetings.