Skip to main content

Imran asks IHC to end spy agency’s ‘involvement in jail affairs’

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking judicial intervention in the affairs of the Rawalpindi Central Jail, saying the prison is being managed by officials of an intelligence agency.

In the petition filed through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen, Mr Khan said that two intelligence officials virtually control the prison.

The petition said that despite IHC’s clear orders, the superintendent of Adiala Jail did not allow him to consult with the PTI leadership as well as lawyers.

He cited the case recently decided by the IHC in which the high court, while referring to Rule 265 of the Jail Manual, observed that the inmate is entitled to writing letters and interviews twice a week.

The petition states: “It is clarified that this order is passed to remind, reiterate and preserve the values and traditions of our legal system and has little to do with the identity of the petitioner alone. These values and traditions must apply across the board, irrespective of who the petitioner is, but, it goes without saying, they acquire greater prominence when the prisoner in question happens to be not only a political leader with substantial following but also the erstwhile holder of the highest executive office of the nation.”

According to the petition, the IHC has time and again directed the Superintendent of Adiala Jail to “revise the standard operating procedure that two days in a week are insufficient for the purpose of a meeting”.

The petitioner said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, while hearing an appeal about amendments to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) laws, has admitted that PTI and the petitioner have greater support among the masses and the apex court has suggested political dialogues to allow the party to perform its significant role in reducing the miseries of the masses at large.

However, the petition states that “this whole process has been dealt with by the colonel and major of ISI who create interference and indulgence in the civil administration due to having a mala fide intention against the petitioner and due to their interference the petitioner is unable to consult with party leadership and his fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution are not protected”.

The petition said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was allowed to consult more than 15 people a day without interruption whereas Mr Khan has been denied his meetings with the party leadership and lawyers.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024



from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/Iqa3iS6

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...

In noisy NA session, Bilawal endorses PTI’s call for judicial inquiry into May 9 riots

In his maiden speech during a session of the newly elected National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday endorsed the PTI’s call for a judicial inquiry into the May 9 riots. He passed these remarks in reference to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent call for the formation of a judicial commission to probe the violent protests that erupted across the country following PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9 last year. “I call upon the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan (Justice Qaez Faiz Isa) to form [a judicial commission] and see who are the beneficiaries [of May 9],” Gandapur had said in a fiery speech after being elected the chief executive of KP. Speaking on the floor of the lower house of the Parliament today, Bilawal said he endorsed Gandapur’s demand. But at the same time, he stated that the result should be accepted by everyone, including the Imran-led party. “It is not possible that someone attacks our institution and th...