ISLAMABAD: The special court hearing the cypher case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and others, on Monday, sought a report from Attock jail authorities for not allowing the PTI chief to have a telephonic conversation with his sons.
The special court judge, AbulHasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, while hearing the contempt petition, sought a report from the superintendent Attock jail and adjourned the hearing of the matter till September 28.
The Attock Jail superintendent had submitted a reply to the contempt petition, stating that the jail rules do not allow to connect any prisoner via telephone.
There is no provision in the Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978, that allows any prisoner to have telephonic conversations outside the country, he had further said in his reply submitted before the court.
The PTI chief’s counsel, Sheraz Ranja, and prosecutor Raja Naveed appeared before the court.
During the hearing, the PTI chief’s lawyer, while arguing before the court, said that his client had not been convicted in the cypher case and he was on judicial remand in Attock jail. The Official Secrets Act and Punjab prison law are not invoked upon the accused, he said, adding that the PTI chief has so not been convicted in the cypher case.
He further argued that Punjab prison law is invoked upon the convicted prisoner. All accused in Attock jail have been allowed to avail the facility of telephonic contact with their relatives, he said, adding that for the last two to three years, the facility of telephonic meeting has been available to the prisoners.
The counsel further said that Qasim and Suleman are the sons of the PTI chief, therefore, refusing to allow Khan to talk to his sons on the telephone is injustice.
He requested the court to start contempt of court proceedings against Attock jail superintendent. The judge, after hearing arguments, sought a report of superintendent Attock jail and adjourned the hearing on the matter till September 28.
However, the PTI chief’s counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing till September 26. The judge remarked that the judicial remand of the PTI chief will be completed on September 26 and he will himself talk to the Attock jail superintendent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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