A top Pakistani court on Monday ordered authorities to shift former PM Imran Khan from the Attock jail in Punjab province to high-security Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, according to media reports.
In August, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to transfer the deposed party chief to Adiala prison where A-class facilities are available, keeping in view Khan’s affluent family background, social and political status.
During the hearing, the IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked, “Shift the PTI chairman to Adiala jail”.
A written ruling has yet to be issued in the case, the Dawn newspaper reported.
“IHC Chief Justice has ordered moving PTI chairman Imran Khan from Attock Prison to Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi,” Khan’s party said.
Meanwhile, talking to the media outside the IHC, Marwat said they had “finally been granted justice from the IHC” on the matter of shifting Khan from Attock jail to Adiala jail. The lawyer said it was a “little bit of justice” but he was glad about it.
Khan, 70, has been kept in the Attock Jail since August 5 after his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. His sentence was suspended by the IHC on August 29, but he continues to remain in Attock prison in the cipher (secret diplomatic cable) leakage case.
Special court hearings in the cipher case against Khan have been taking place at the Attock jail, citing security reasons.
According to the report in the Dawn newspaper, during the hearing, Justice Farooq observed, “The status of the PTI chairman’s sentence has changed. All under-trial prisoners of Islamabad are detained at the Adiala jail.” He then asked, “Why has the PTI chairman been kept at the Attock (jail) till now? Why not at the Adiala jail?” The IHC Chief Justice recalled that according to the “original order” of the Toshakhana case, Imran was to be kept at the Adiala jail.
At this, Dogal replied, “When the PTI chairman was detained in the cipher case, the court order was (to hold him at) the Attock jail.” Meanwhile, Khan’s lawyer Marwat requested the court that the former premier be provided with an exercise machine as he was a “sportsman”, the report said.
Why has Imran Khan been shifted to Adiala Jail?
Imran Khan was arrested in Lahore on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana corruption case. In a petition, the lawyer of the PTI party requested the IHC to transfer the deposed premier where A-class facilities are available, adding that his family, lawyers and his physician Dr Faisal Sultan should be allowed to meet him. He said that meeting his lawyers, legal team and family was the fundamental right of the party chairman.