Pakistan: IHC reserves verdict on plea seeking Imran Khan’s transfer to Adiala jail from Attock

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 12 (ANI): The Islamabad High Court chief justice reserved the verdict on Imran Khan’s request to transfer him to Adiala jail from Attock, where his lawyers claim he is “facing serious threats to life”, the Dawn reported.

IHC CJ Justice Amir Farooq has reserved the verdict on Khan’s transfer application, stating he will “issue an appropriate order” on it.

During a hearing on Friday, Punjab Assistant Advocate General Rao Shaukat and PTI chairman lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat appeared in court.

Khan’s counsel said the trial court had sent Khan to Adiala Jail but he was shifted to Attock Jail. Shaukat then presented the transfer letter to Attock Jail on behalf of the Punjab government.

Later, during a press conference, Khan’s lawyers Naeem Haider Panjutha and Ali Ijaz Buttar expressed “serious apprehensions” regarding the safety and security of the PTI chairman.

They said the former prime minister was facing serious threats to his life and demanded immediate steps to provide him with home-made food and other facilities.

Panjotha said PTI’s legal team tried their best to meet with Khan on Thursday but only his wife was allowed to meet him.

The counsel stated that it was their legal right to meet with Khan as they needed his instructions regarding his various cases as well as signing the power of attorney to appear in court on his behalf.

The petitions were dismissed after Khan’s counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, failed to convince the court to exempt the PTI chairman from personal appearance due to his imprisonment in the Toshakhana case.

At the last hearing, the counsel had submitted an application for adjournment and to exempt his client from personal attend­ance as his current “circu­m­­stance was beyond his control”.

The application was fixed for hearing on Friday when Barrister Safdar again sought an adjournment saying he could not prepare his arguments.

While talking with his lawyers in the Attock jail, Imran Khan said, “Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” according to the officials.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman also stated that he remains holed up inside his prison cell in “distressing” conditions, as per the sources.

Khan’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha was granted access by the jail authorities Monday to meet him, who after seeing the PTI chairman said that the former premier was being kept in “distressing” conditions provided “C-Class jail facilities”.

However, the sources said that the PTI chairman, during the meeting with his lawyer, conveyed his concerns regarding the environment at the prison with flies taking over his cell during the day and insects at night.

Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.