IHC Removes Three Objections on KP CM's Petition to Meet Imran Khan
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday removed three out of four objections raised against a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, seeking permission to meet Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, presiding over a single bench, heard the petition filed by Afridi and KP Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam. During the proceedings, counsel Ali Bukhari represented the petitioners to address the office objections.
The court noted that the Registrar Office had raised objections regarding the maintainability of the petition. In response, the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the court that the provincial cabinet had approved the filing of the petition. However, Justice Soomro observed that the petition was not filed by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as an institution but by individuals in their personal capacities.
Counsel Ali Bukhari argued that the Registrar Office’s objections were unjustified and stated that he was the lead counsel in the matter. The Advocate General informed the court that a reply to the objections had already been submitted to the Registrar Office, but no further progress had been made despite the response.
Justice Soomro remarked that if the petitioners believed the objections were incorrectly raised, they could request that the matter be placed before the court for judicial determination. Emphasizing the urgency due to the budget process, the counsel requested an early decision. The court indicated that an order would be issued the same day and noted that it would be seen whether the petitioners could promptly remove the objections.
Later, the bench issued an order removing three out of four objections. Regarding the fourth objection, the court directed the registrar to submit a report on how many cases of the same nature are pending before the court.
Afridi filed the petition in the IHC through a special power of attorney, with the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and cited the federal and Punjab interior secretaries, the Punjab Inspector General of Police, and the Superintendent of Adiala Jail as respondents. The petition, filed through Advocate Syed Ali Bukhari, prayed that the KP chief minister be allowed to meet the PTI founder ahead of the provincial budget for the next fiscal year.
He argued in the petition that consultation with Imran Khan is essential for cabinet deliberations and governance matters, as he remains the guiding figure of the party. The petition further stated that Imran Khan is currently imprisoned in Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi, and that prior requests for a meeting have already been submitted to the Interior Ministry and Punjab Home Department. It maintained that it is legally and morally necessary to seek guidance from the party’s patron-in-chief on sensitive governance and cabinet formation issues.
