- It is advisable to request a report on Imran’s living conditions: SC.
- The court orders lawyer Barrister Safdar to submit a report tomorrow.
- He orders that the politician’s lawyer be given access to his headquarters.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed lawyer Salman Safdar, lawyer of jailed Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, to meet the former prime minister jailed in Adiala Jail, declaring the lawyer a “friend of the court”.
“It is appropriate to request a report on the living conditions of the founder of the PTI. Lawyer [Salman] “Safdar should be given access to the quarters of the PTI founder so that he can give a written reply,” the court said.
The SC further directed the lawyer to submit the report on Imran’s living conditions tomorrow (Wednesday).
Pointing out that the report submitted before the court pursuant to the order dated August 24, 2023, in which the court had sought a report on the living conditions of the former chief minister, came at a time when the PTI founder was in Attock jail. The court then adjourned the hearing until Thursday.
The ousted prime minister has been behind bars for more than two years. However, his imprisonment has consistently proven to be a flashpoint for the government as PTI protests continue, including fights with police and prison staff, over meetings with the former prime minister.
Recently, his party had once again raised concerns about health and living conditions, especially after it came to light that he had undergone a medical procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) after being diagnosed with a serious eye condition known as central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a disorder that commonly affects older adults and is linked to underlying cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
Imran’s sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, have also expressed concern over the living conditions at the Adiala facility, alleging that they are “horrible” and “substandard”.
The former ruling party has also made repeated attempts to secure a meeting and gain access to him amid the government’s ban on meeting the former prime minister until February 8, a date that has now passed.
Last week, the SC said a memorandum submitted by the PTI, seeking access to Imran, had been transmitted to the “relevant executive authorities” for proper consideration under the law.
Meanwhile, a day earlier, the SC rejected a plea seeking an immediate meeting with the PTI founder and observed that such an order could not be passed without prior notice to the government.
