The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the formation of a medical team to inspect ex-premier Imran Khan’s eye and also directed that he be allowed to speak to his children — both before February 16.
The instructions came as a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan resumed hearing the case regarding the PTI founder’s living conditions in Adiala jail.
The court ordered that the eye inspection and the phone calls be conducted before February 16 (Monday).
However, the bench dismissed the request to have the condition of Imran’s eye — after he underwent a medical procedure on January 24 — examined in the presence of his family members.
“The issue of Imran’s health is most important,” CJP Afridi observed, adding that “intervention was necessary”.
“We want to know the government’s stance on the matter of his (Imran’s) health,” the top judge said, at which Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan affirmed that it was the state’s responsibility to provide medical facilities.
“If the prisoner is not satisfied, then the state will take measures,” AGP Awan added.
CJP Afridi then noted that the issue of Imran’s “telephone calls with his children is also important”.
“We are trusting the government. The government is in a good mood today,” he remarked.
On the request to provide some books to the PTI founder, AGP Awan said it would be done after consultation with eye doctors.
Noting that the SC had received reports from PTI counsel Advocate Salman Safdar and the Adiala jail superintendent, the chief justice said: “Most of the things in both reports are similar — the place is good, the facilities are fine.”
Noting that the issue of Imran’s meetings with his family members was pending before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Afridi said it would be appropriate for the relevant forum to decide on that.
Safdar’s meeting
On Wednesday, Advocate Safdar, who was appointed amicus curiae and met Imran at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, submitted a seven-page report to the SC regarding Imran’s living condition in the prison.
However, he refrained from divulging what he came across during his three-hour meeting with the ex-premier or what he recommended in his report.
Safdar also denied making any statement on Imran’s health on Tuesday, making it clear that if anything was attributed to him in this regard, it was “misrepresented and misreported”.
On Tuesday, the day he met Imran, Safdar had told reporters that the incarcerated PTI founder was fine and looking healthy.
The SC’s order that day allowing Safdar to meet Imran came after the bench rejected a request for an immediate meeting, but issued notices to the parties. The SC had again rejected senior PTI leader Latif Khosa’s request for an urgent meeting.
More to follow
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