ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday assured Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s lawyer that the court would issue “appropriate orders” over pleas seeking protection for the former premier as he serves his sentence.
Imran’s lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat appeared before IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq’s court today as he pleaded with the court to issue directives to allow the legal team to meet with the PTI chief in jail.
He implored the court that there had been ‘”false accusations” of lawyers causing disruptions at the Attock District Jail, where Imran is serving his prison term.
“We have said this before and we will say it again, lawyers are allowed to hold meetings,” remarked the CJ.
The lawyer also complained before the judge that there had been attempts to arrest him despite him having secured interim bail.
“We were not permitted to meet the PTI chairman despite court orders,” he said.
The court also heard Imran’s plea requesting a transfer from Attock district prison to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The court inquired from Assistant Advocate General Punjab Rao Shaukat to provide clarification on whether the court had sentenced the PTI chief to Attock or Adala jail.
Upon this, the letter of Attock Jail transfer on behalf of the Punjab Government was presented before the court. The Punjab Government’s counsel also read out the details of the reasons related to the transfer of Attock Jail.
“Tell me one thing,” said CJ Farooq, “can’t the lawyers meet the accused?”.
The provincial government’s lawyer informed the court that a meeting between the PTI chief and his lawyer had already taken place on August 7 where the lawyer signed letters of attorney of the high courts and the Supreme Court.
The court questioned whether “signing legal documents is the only reason lawyers are permitted to meet with the accused”.
“Failure to allow these meetings will be viewed as contempt of court,” the IHC’s top judge warned.
“We had granted the permission for holding the meeting on August 7 but on August 8 and 9 they reached too late,” explained the government’s lawyer.
A PTI counsel argued before the court that there are 180 cases registered against Imran and the legal team needed to take advice from him.
The CJ expressed the view that lawyers should be permitted to meet with the accused through proper channels.
The PTI’s lawyer on the other hand objected to the Punjab government’s version saying that they were “fabricating” the details.
Marwat further argued that “they needed to decide on the jail class within 48 hours which they failed to do so”.
“Under what law did they transfer the PTI chief to Attack Jail?” the lawyer implored expressing reservations regarding the conditions under which Imran was being kept at the premises.
The Punjab government on the other hand maintained that the former premier was being provided all necessary facilities including medical care at the jail.
The CJ remarked that “there is the matter of meetings and facilities at the jail before us. We will issue appropriate orders.”
