The Islamabad High Court on Saturday directed the Attock Jail administration to provide PTI Chairman Imran Khan with “appropriate medical facilities” and allow him to hold meetings with friends and family as provided in the law.
“He (the former prime minister) may also be provided with the prayer mat and English version of the Holy Quran,” the court said.
On Aug 5, an Islamabad trial court had declared Imran guilty of “corrupt practices” in a case pertaining to concealing details of state gifts and sentenced him to three years in prison. Soon after the verdict, he was arrested by the Punjab police from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
Imran had moved the IHC seeking transfer from Attock Jail to a better class in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The former prime minister also sought permission for regular visits by his legal team, family members, physician Faisal Sultan and political aides to the jail.
A day earlier, PTI lawyers also expressed “serious apprehensions” over Imran’s safety in Attock Jail.
At the previous hearing, the court had reserved its verdict on the plea, with IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq saying he will “issue an appropriate order” on it.
In a written order, the court sought a report from the respondents on the “reasons which led to the petitioner’s confinement in Attock jail” instead of Adiala jail.
Citing Rule 92 of the Pakistan Prison Rules 1978 (PPR), it noted that “every convicted prisoner is to be allowed reasonable opportunity to interview his relatives, friends and legal advisors for the purpose of preparing his appeal”.
“Every such interview is to be allowed within sight but out of hearing of the prison official supervising the interview.
“It seems that there is nothing on record which bars an interview with the prisoner more than once a week. The jail authorities shall provide reasonable opportunity to the relatives/ friends/legal advisors of the petitioner to seek [an] interview,” the order reads.
The order reiterated that the former premier be provided with “all the facilities as per his entitlement” under the PPR.
Separately, the IHC also sought the complete record of the Toshakhana case against Imran.
The order was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri on Imran’s petition against his conviction by a trial court in the said case.
The plea said the trial court order was “liable to be set aside” as it was passed “with the pre-disposed mind”.
