The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday instructed jail officials to arrange a meeting between imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his legal counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, scheduled for 2pm the following day. This order was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif during hearings related to the £190 million case and the suspension of sentences for Khan and Bushra Bibi.
Special prosecutors from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Javed Ashraf and Rafi Maqsood, appeared before the court, while Barrister Safdar represented Imran Khan. The court’s directive follows its earlier February decision to appoint Safdar as a “friend of the court.” After visiting Khan, Safdar reported that the PTI chairman had complained of losing 85 percent of vision in his right eye.
At the start of Tuesday’s session, the court was informed that the hearing could not proceed the previous day due to the bench’s unavailability. The court then resumed proceedings, addressing both the main petitions and related miscellaneous applications simultaneously. These included requests for an expedited hearing of Bushra Bibi’s plea and facilitation of the lawyer-client meeting.
During the hearing, Safdar referenced a court order dated March 31. Chief Justice Dogar questioned the nature of the miscellaneous application, after which Safdar requested permission to meet his client. The bench granted the request, instructing jail authorities to arrange the meeting. “You may go and meet the PTI founder,” the chief justice stated, asking Safdar to propose a suitable time. Safdar suggested 2pm, which the court formally approved.
Additionally, Barrister Safdar urged the court to consider applications for suspension of the sentences. Chief Justice Dogar responded, “Go to jail and meet your client; we can fix the appeal schedule thereafter.” He added that the appeals could be scheduled for two days per week, allowing Safdar to meet Khan beforehand.
Safdar emphasized his preference to consult with his clients in jail before assisting the court with appeal preparations. He also requested an expedited decision on Bushra Bibi’s sentence suspension application. The chief justice indicated a willingness to accelerate the appeals process, stating that once arguments begin, the court aims to resolve the appeals within seven days, “God willing.”
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and faces multiple charges, including corruption and terrorism, following his removal from office through an opposition no-confidence vote in April 2022. Notably, Khan has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a serious eye condition, as per a report submitted to the Supreme Court by his lawyer and the court’s amicus curiae, Salman Safdar. In a significant development last month, the IHC directed the chief commissioner of the capital city to establish a medical board to evaluate Khan’s health status.
