Court directs to facilitate lawyers’ virtual meetings with Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has directed the Adiala jail superintendent to facilitate online meetings of lawyers with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan until security concerns are addressed.

IHC judge Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan issued a written order, emphasizing that online meetings should be arranged promptly and a compliance report should be submitted to the court by March 22.

The court’s decision comes in response to restrictions imposed on jail visits due to security reasons.

The IHC issued the written order on pleas seeking to allow meetings of lawyers with the PTI founder in jail.

According to the order, the jail authorities have imposed restrictions on jail visits due to security reasons, and if there is no facility for online meetings, the coordinator of the founder of PTI should be allowed to make arrangements.

It said that the location for the online meetings should have internet access with the required speed and performance standards, and if necessary, a telecom company may be summoned to submit an affidavit.

The order stated that the Advocate General of Islamabad raised an objection that online meetings are not permitted under jail rules, but the Advocate General’s argument lacks weight, as everyone knows that the jail rules were drafted in 1978, and at that time, there was no facility for online video meetings.

The order said that there has never been a need for such online meetings that the government would consider the matter, and the court’s orders should be implemented by arranging online meetings. According to the court order, the Advocate General said that political discussions will take place in the online meeting, the question is, what else would be discussed if a physical meeting was arranged?”