The Special Court (Official Secrets Act) on Monday issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent for failing to arrange a phone call between incarcerated PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his sons.
The PTI chief was sent to jail after he was convicted in the Toshakhana case. His sentence was suspended on August 29 but Imran remained in jail because he was on judicial remand in the cipher case.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power. The former premier and his aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were indicted in the case on Oct 23.
Last week, the special court allowed Imran to make a telephone call to his children every Saturday.
However, in a petition filed today, PTI lawyer Sheraz Ahmed Ranjha the Adiala jail superintendent did not obey the court’s order.
“The respondent has wilfully, deliberately and intentionally violated the order of the honourable court,” the plea said, adding that contempt of court proceedings should be commenced against the prison official.
The application also sought that the superintendent be instructed to arrange a phone call between Imran and his sons immediately.
Taking up the petition today, Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain issued notices to the Adiala jail superintendent and sought responses to the petition. The hearing was subsequently adjourned till Nov 8.
Separately, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) adjourned the hearing on Imran’s bail plea in a case pertaining to violence and vandalism in the country on May 9 till November 14 due to the prosecutor’s failure to appear.
During the hearing, the lawyer for PTI leader Qureshi said that his client should be granted bail as the same had been done for other suspects in the case.
At one point, the court asked whether it would be better to hear Qureshi’s plea alongside Imran’s. At this, Bukhari said, “I am ready right now. The court can hear me and decide.”
The judge said that the plea would then be heard alongside Imran’s in jail and the hearing was adjourned till November 14.
