ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court, on Saturday, asked the Attock jail to provide Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan with “appropriate medical facilities” and allow him to have meetings with friends and family, Dawn reported.
Notably, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief was arrested on August 5 after a court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The court directed the jail authorities that the PTI chairman should be provided with a prayer mat and a copy of the English version of the Holy Quran, as well as “appropriate medical facilities to cater for his health and wellbeing”.
“He (the former prime minister) may also be provided with the prayer mat and English version of the Holy Quran,” the court said.
After Khan’s lawyers claimed that he was being kept in “distressing conditions” and was provided “C-Class jail facilities”.
Imran subsequently moved to the IHC seeking transfer from Attock Jail to a better class in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The former prime minister also sought permission for regular visits by his legal team, family members, physician Faisal Sultan and political aides to the jail, reported Dawn.
A day earlier, PTI lawyers also expressed “serious apprehensions” over Imran’s safety in Attock Jail.
In a written order issued today, the court sought a report from the respondents on the “reasons which led to the petitioner’s confinement in Attock jail” instead of Adiala jail.
Citing Rule 92 of the Pakistan Prison Rules 1978 (PPR), it noted that “every convicted prisoner is to be allowed a reasonable opportunity to interview his relatives, friends and legal advisors for the purpose of preparing his appeal”.
“Every such interview is to be allowed within sight but out of hearing of the prison official supervising the interview, as per Dawn.
“It seems that there is nothing on record which bars an interview with the prisoner more than once a week. The jail authorities shall provide a reasonable opportunity to the relatives/ friends/legal advisors of the petitioner to seek [an] interview,” the order reads. (ANI)