The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday heard a contempt of court petition regarding the denial of lawyer Salman Akram Raja’s meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir presided over the hearing and issued notices to the Interior Secretary and the Superintendent of Adiala Jail. The IHC asked both officials to submit their responses and explain why the meeting was not allowed despite earlier court orders.
During the hearing, Salman Akram Raja informed the court that his scheduled meeting with Imran Khan was blocked last Tuesday, even though a written order had been issued. “If I cannot meet him in jail, how will I assist in the X-account case?” Raja said while addressing the bench.
Justice Tahir expressed concern over the authorities’ failure to follow the court’s instructions. He remarked that the court would take action in accordance with the law if the matter was not resolved. The judge also directed the Assistant Attorney General to ensure that Raja’s meeting with his client takes place without further delay.
The IHC was informed that the upcoming hearing for Imran Khan’s X-account (Twitter account) case is scheduled for December. Justice Tahir assured Raja that a meeting date would be arranged before the hearing so he could prepare properly.
The Assistant Attorney General told the court that he would again communicate the court’s directive to the jail authorities. However, Justice Tahir questioned why the order had not been implemented earlier.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the IHC ordered the authorities to facilitate the lawyer’s meeting with Imran Khan ahead of the scheduled X-account case proceedings.
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