Ask the court to authorize meetings with Imran; Lawyer Gohar stresses need to allow peaceful protests
Imran Khan orders to expel legislators absent on voting day for 26th constitutional amendment. PHOTO: PIXABAY
Fourteen Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court against the solitary confinement of party founder Imran Khan and his wife, and sought permission to meet the former prime minister.
Imran has been detained in Adiala Prison for more than two and a half years, during which time he has faced restrictions on meeting his family and party members. His sisters, as well as other close relatives and PTI leaders, were repeatedly denied permission to meet him, despite court orders allowing such visits.
Read: IHC issues notices on KP CM’s petition to meet Imran Khan
Protests outside the prison against these restrictions, including sit-ins on Adiala Road, were met with water cannons by police to disperse demonstrators, underscoring ongoing tensions over access to the former prime minister.
The petition, filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, named the federal government, the Punjab government and the superintendent of Adiala jail as respondents.
He asked the court to “declare that the solitary confinement of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all other prisoners present is without legal authority, in violation of Section 73 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and Section 30 of the Prisons Act, 1894, and therefore unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary and void.”
It further asked the court to declare that the treatment meted out to Imran, Bushra Bibi and all other prisoners present constituted “cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment” in violation of the Constitution as well as Pakistan’s binding obligations under international regulations and to restrain the respondents from continuing such treatment in any form.
The motion also asked the court to issue “appropriate directions to develop and implement binding guidelines, consistent with constitutional guarantees…and to further order Respondents to adopt, implement and adhere to them, in order to prevent the improper use of solitary confinement and other degrading practices against political prisoners in the future.”
The PTI senators further asked the court to “declare and consider that the persecution of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi is emblematic of a broader pattern of politically motivated victimization of democratic leaders, and to declare that the arbitrary use of solitary confinement and denial of prisoners’ rights as instruments of political coercion are unconstitutional, impermissible and contrary to the constitutional guarantees of citizens.”
They asked the court to order the respondents to allow them to meet Imran on a periodic basis, at reasonable intervals, and also to meet him for the “legitimate purpose of verifying and ensuring that the conditions of his detention comply with the requirements of the Constitution, applicable prison laws and rules and Pakistan’s binding human rights obligations, and that his fundamental rights are respected and protected.”
Other demands made included directing the respondents to immediately end Imran’s solitary confinement and ensure that he is treated strictly in accordance with the law and with respect for his fundamental rights. They finally asked the court to order the defendants to restore Imran’s basic rights and privileges guaranteed to prisoners by law, including, but not limited to, access to books, newspapers, television and visiting rights with family.
The petition claimed that solitary confinement was used as a systemic tool of political coercion, aimed at suppressing dissent and restricting democratic freedoms.
He further argued that this practice violated both Islamic constitutional principles and Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
“The deliberate infliction of psychological suffering through isolation, without legal authority, directly violates these principles and cannot be sustained in an Islamic Republic governed by law,” the petition states.
Lawyer Gohar urges justice to act
Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan highlighted the continued denial of family visits. “We were trying to meet the Chief Justice of Pakistan again, but he is busy. We waited for three hours to meet the Chief Justice. Meeting with the founder [Imran Khan] is our constitutional and legal right,” he said.
Learn more: Imran Khan’s meeting with PTI leaders again denied, contempt petition filed in IHC
He also pointed out that Imran and Bushra Bibi were not released on bail for more than a year after their conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust case on January 17, 2025. “We ask the judiciary to ensure that people get justice at their doorsteps. When the doors of justice are closed, people take justice into their own hands,” he added.
Addressing broader political concerns, Barrister Gohar highlighted the importance of reconciliation and dialogue. “PTI stands with Pakistan and the Pakistan Armed Forces; we stand with the state. Whenever the country’s problems arose, we have declared our full support,” he said.
He also stressed the need for peaceful protest. “On February 8, we will register our protest, which will be peaceful. Our call is for people to impose the shutdown and stop the wheels,” he added.
