Pak court seeks responses on Imran Khan's allegations of ISI meddling in prison affairs

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 6 : The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken up a petition filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, alleging interference by the (ISI) in the administration of Adiala Jail, Dawn reported.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the preliminary hearing and directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail, the Punjab home secretary, and the secretary of defence to submit their replies. The hearing has been adjourned until the next week.
In the petition filed through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen, Khan asserts that a major and a colonel from ISI exert significant control over Adiala Jail. He claims that despite clear orders from the IHC, the jail's superintendent has obstructed his consultations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership and lawyers, as reported by Dawn.
Referring to a recent IHC decision citing Rule 265 of the jail manual, the petition underscores Khan's entitlement to communication rights, including writing letters and holding interviews twice weekly. It emphasises that these rights are crucial not only for Khan as a political figure but also as a matter of upholding legal standards.
"It is clarified that this order is passed to remind, reiterate and preserve the values and traditions of our legal system and it has little to do with the identity of the petitioner alone," the petition stated.
"These values and traditions must apply across the board irrespective of who the petitioner is, but, it goes without saying, they acquire greater prominence when the prisoner in question happens to be not only a political leader with substantial following but also the erstwhile holder of the highest executive office of the nation," it said.
It added that the IHC has time and again directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to "revise the standard operating procedures that two days in a week are insufficient for a meeting purpose".
The petition pointed out that the Supreme Court while hearing the appeal against amendments to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) laws has proposed holding dialogues and admitted the fact that the PTI and the petitioner, having greater support in the public, are required to perform their significant role in reducing miseries of the public at large.
However, the also petition said, "this whole process has been dealt with by a colonel and a major of ISI who create interference and indulgence in the civil administration due to having mala fide intention against the petitioner and due to their interference the petitioner is unable to consult with party leadership and his fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, are not protected," Dawn reported.