The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the superintendent of Adiala Jail, Punjab's home secretary, and the advocate generals for Islamabad and Punjab, directing them to submit their replies within three weeks in a case concerning the denial of access to imprisoned PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Case Details
A three-member bench led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the case. The petition, filed by Senator Mashal Azam through Barrister Ali Zafar, challenged the alleged failure to comply with an Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling that permitted meetings with the former prime minister. A separate petition was also filed by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
During the proceedings, Raja, Barrister Ali Zafar, and Advocate Uzair Bhandari appeared before the court. The bench also took up a separate case seeking the transfer of the PTI founder from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment.
Medical Transfer Request
Advocate Bhandari requested an early hearing, arguing that the matter had been pending for over three months. He informed the court that the appeal remained unprocessed for nearly a month because it had not been assigned a case number by the Supreme Court Registrar's Office. Bhandari further stated that the delay was due to the absence of a power of attorney signed by the PTI founder.
Justice Mazhar asked whether the counsel was submitting the power of attorney that day. Bhandari replied that the appeal had initially been filed through a special attorney because the power of attorney was not available at the time. Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan noted that the bench would not be available the following week. The counsel requested an early hearing, and the court advised filing a formal application for an urgent hearing before adjourning the proceedings.
Post-Hearing Statements
After the hearing, Barrister Zafar expressed hope that the proceedings would lead to the restoration of regular meetings between Imran Khan and his lawyers, family members, and Bushra Bibi, in accordance with their legal and constitutional rights.
Separately, Bhandari submitted a miscellaneous application seeking a hearing of a chamber appeal on June 22. The plea challenged objections raised by the Registrar's Office against the PTI founder's request for treatment at Shifa Hospital. The application argued that the objections had become ineffective because the PTI founder had since provided a power of attorney, authenticated by Adiala Jail on May 25. It also stated that the PTI founder was taken to PIMS for a medical examination on June 14 without informing his family.
Related IHC Orders
Meanwhile, the IHC ordered authorities to obtain signatures from the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi on legal documents required to challenge a previous court order before the Supreme Court. A division bench directed the Advocate General's Office to ensure compliance within seven days.
In another related matter, the IHC reserved its decision on a request by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam, seeking a meeting with the PTI founder for consultations on the provincial budget. The court stated that an appropriate order would be issued after reviewing the registrar's objections.
