ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) removed the registrar office’s objections on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s petition seeking permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail.
A single bench of Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir on Monday heard the petition, along with the objections raised by the registrar's office, and issued notices to the federal secretary of the Interior Ministry, the secretary of the Punjab Home Department, the Inspector General of Punjab prisons, and the Superintendent of Central Prison Adiala, Rawalpindi.
During the hearing, Afridi’s counsel, Ali Bukhari, argued that the objections raised by the registrar were invalid. He also countered that the provincial cabinet had not yet been constituted, making the objection about cabinet approval irrelevant.
After hearing the arguments, the IHC bench removed all objections and issued notices to the respondents, directing them to respond in this matter and deferred hearing of the case until October 23.
Afridi filed the petition through his counsel Syed Ali Bukhari. However, the IHC registrar’s office objected to the maintainability of the plea, saying that the court had already adjudicated similar matters and had laid down a procedure for seeking permission to meet the PTI founder. The office questioned how a new petition could be filed without following the prescribed process.
In his petition, Afridi stated that as a chief minister, he was constitutionally responsible for governance of the province, and was “under both legal and moral obligation” to consult Imran for “guidance and instructions of urgent and sensitive provincial matters” concerning the governance and formation of the provincial cabinet.
He added that the people of the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has elected the petitioner as the Chief Minister on the ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI), which is presently having population of approximately 4.5 Crore and for governance, securing/ safe guarding the fundamental rights and matters related to law and order situation, formation of provincial cabinet, inter provincial relationships, inter provincial trade specially wheat and rice, critical economic challenges being faced by the people of the province and important policy matters regarding the affairs of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; hence consultation, instructions in this and other allied matters with Imran Khan is extremely essential.
The petitioner maintained that several critical policy matters, including inter-provincial restrictions imposed by the province of Punjab (e.g., wheat transportation), require immediate consultation with Imran, as such matters directly affect the governance and fundamental rights of the citizens of KP.
He contended that it is therefore necessary and in the public interest that directions to the respondents may kindly be issued to allow/ permit the Chief Minister KP to meet the PTI founder at the central prison Adiala under proper supervision and as per jail security protocols.
The KP Chief Minister prayed to the court to direct the respondents to forthwith arrange and facilitate a meeting between the petitioner and Imran Ahmad Khan, presently confined at Central Prison Adiala, Rawalpindi.
He also requested to direct the respondents to ensure that the Petitioner is allowed to hold periodical meetings with Imran in the future, as and when required, without any hindrance or unreasonable delay.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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