IHC allows lawyers to meet Imran Khan

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday allowed Imran Khan’s lawyers to meet him while refraining from making a final decision on providing A-class jail facilities, Aaj News reported.

“The jail authorities at Attock Jail shall provide due counsel access to the petitioner for signatures on Wakalatnama and instructions as provided in Jail Manual and other laws,” the order written by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq read.

The order stated that three lawyers, Barrister Umair Niazi, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Naeem Haider Panjutha, would be allowed to meet Imran in jail.

It added that the registrar’s office had raised objections on the instant petition filed by Imran’s lawyers, but those objections stood overruled. The office has now been instructed to fix a number for the petition.

However, despite the court’s order, the jail authorities have reportedly not allowed lawyers to meet Imran Khan.

PTI chief’s lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat claimed in a Twitter post that the Attock Jail Superintendent has refused to follow the court’s orders.

“Finally_ after waiting about two and half hours, Superintendent Attock Jail conveyed his inability to obey IHC orders through Deputy Superintendent.”

He further said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had detained the PTI chief’s other attorney Naeem Haider Panjotha, who was being pressurised and denied access to his cell phone.

“This is an illegal detention, and we will take legal action against the concerned FIA officials. Panjotha is still detained, though he was told an hour back, he would be released,” he added.

The former prime minister is in Attock Jail after being sentenced to three years in prison for ‘corrupt practices’ in the Toshakhana case. He was arrested from Lahore minutes after an Islamabad sessions court issued the verdict.

Government sources say Imran has been given B-Class facilities, while his lawyers and party supporters claim he is being kept in squalid conditions in a C-Class cell.

His lawyers had also complained that Imran’s bail petitions could not be filed as they had failed to get wakaltnama signed by Imran.

The lawyers have also petitioned Imran to be shifted to Adiala Jail, the closest to Islamabad’s courts, where the PTI chief faces multiple cases.