Superintendent Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi on Friday refused to arrange online meetings of former prime minister and ex-PTI chairman Imran Khan with his lawyers, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

Speaking during the hearing of the petition, seeking the court order for arranging online meetings of the former prime minister, the superintendent told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that since under the jail rules, there was no provision for online meetings, therefore he could not make arrangements for that.

However, he said that there was a need to amend the rules, and in this regard he had already written a letter to the Punjab government.

Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq asked when there was no such provision, then why Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had announced the start of online meetings at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. “I learned this through media reports,” he remarked, adding, “The chief minister had said this with a great sense of pride that Kot Lakhpat Jail was going to become the first jail in Asia where this facility would be introduced.”

Then addressing the superintendent, the judge asked whether he meant to say that the court’s order could not be complied with and there was a need to amend the rules. “Let us solve this matter for good. You just cannot ban online meetings in jails,” the judge said categorically, adding, “If you people cannot arrange online meetings, then Pakistan would become a laughing stock all over the world.”  

Speaking on the occasion, the state counsel Abdur Rehman sought time from the court so that he could receive instructions from the government in this regard.

The judge said there was no need to take instructions since the jail superintendent had already said that online meetings were not allowed under the jail rules. “What a pity that while on the one hand, the government has said that there is a ban on online meetings in jails, on the other hand, the chief minister of the same government is proudly announcing the introduction of such a facility in one of the country’s jails,” Justice Ishaq remarked.

The court assistant said that the opinion of the jail superintendent should not be different from that of the Punjab government because he worked under the latter.

PTI lawyer Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat said it was strange that on one hand, a provincial chief minister was proudly announcing the start of online meetings in a jail, while on the other hand, the game of hide and seek was being played here in the court.

The judge said the court wanted to settle the matter right now. “We don’t have much time,” he said, and added, “If only 200 senior civil servants refuse to obey illegal orders from their bosses, then the house will be put in order.”

The court then ordered the advocate general to make the government’s stance clear at the next hearing. “Whether it was CM Maryam who was wrong or the Adiala Jail superintendent,” the judge said.

Imran’s interim bail in three cases

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has extended the interim bail of PTI founder Imran Khan in three different cases namely Jinnah House attack, Askari Tower attack and Shadman police station arson case till March 27.

ATC judge Arshad Javed during the hearing directed the Adiala Jail Superintendent to ensure the presence of Imran Khan on the video link during next hearing.

ATC court judge also ordered Imran Khan's lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, to start argument on next hearing.

However, during the haring the attendance of PTI chief could not be completed on video link from Adiala Jail.

It is pertinent to mention that Lahore High Court has ordered ATC judges to give judgment on interim appeals within 6 day.

Earlier, ATC court no 3 has issued the judgement on interim appeals without the presence of PTI founder

Reporters: Ihtesham Kiani and Jamaluddin Jamali