- IHC Judge Arbab Muhammad Tahir hears KP CM’s plea.
- The Registrar’s Office initially raised objections to the petition.
- A consultation with Imran is essential for the formation of the KP cabinet: Afridi.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday removed the registrar’s objections to a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi seeking a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan in Adiala jail.
IHC judge Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the plea and issued notices to the home secretary, secretary of Punjab home department, inspector general of police and superintendent of Adiala jail. The court ordered the authorities to submit their responses by October 23.
Afridi moved to the IHC on October 17, just two days after he was sworn in as KP chief minister on October 15. A day earlier, on October 16, he had obtained protective bail from the PHC and visited Adiala jail – where PTI founding president Imran Khan was incarcerated – to seek a meeting with him. However, prison authorities rejected this request.
Following the denial, he contacted IHC, but the Registrar’s Office initially raised objections to the maintainability of his request.
During the hearing, Afridi’s lawyer Ali Bukhari appeared in court and informed IHC that the registrar had raised multiple objections to the petition.
Subsequently, after hearing the arguments, the court issued notices to the superintendent of Adiala jail and others by October 23.
In his plea, CM Afridi maintained that consultation with the PTI founder is essential for the formation of the cabinet in KP and directions on provincial governance.
In the application, CM Afridi said he was the elected chief minister and represented a population of 45 million people. He added that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voted for PTI in the 2024 general elections, through which the party secured 92 seats.
The plea contends that the PTI founding president is currently imprisoned in Adiala jail and a meeting with him is essential, especially given the current law and order and economic challenges facing the province.
