SC allows Barrister Salman Safdar to meet Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday appointed senior advocate Salman Safdar as a friend of the court to independently review the living conditions and health of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) jailed leader Imran Khan.

Opening the proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi instructed prison authorities to extend full cooperation to the court-appointed counsel. He stressed that Safdar should be treated with respect and granted prompt access to Imran Khan without being made to wait. The chief justice added that his personal staff officer would facilitate the visit if any issue arose.

A two-member bench comprising CJP Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan directed Safdar to visit Adiala Jail and submit a written assessment of the PTI founder’s living conditions, facilities, and overall treatment. The court further ordered that the amicus curiae be allowed to inspect Imran Khan’s jail barrack to complete the assignment.

The bench set Wednesday as the deadline for submission of the report and adjourned further proceedings until the following day.

During the hearing, Salman Safdar sought clarification on the scope of his mandate and informed the court that certain health-related concerns had emerged following a preliminary eye examination of the PTI founder. In response, the chief justice directed that the report be submitted in chambers.

Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that a compliance report had already been submitted in chambers pursuant to the Supreme Court’s August 24, 2023 order. He said Imran Khan was incarcerated at Attock Jail at the time and that medical records dated between August 5 and August 18, 2023 were attached.

However, the chief justice observed that there was no subsequent order on record indicating the court’s satisfaction with the earlier submission. He noted that Imran Khan’s transfer to Adiala Jail necessitated a fresh evaluation of his detention conditions.

Expressing confidence in Salman Safdar, the court said a new report was appropriate under the circumstances.

Earlier, the chief justice barred senior lawyer Latif Khosa from addressing the bench. Later, Khosa again approached the rostrum seeking permission to meet his client, but the court declined the request and instead ordered that Salman Safdar be allowed to visit Adiala Jail the same day.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court had turned down an urgent plea by Imran Khan’s legal team seeking an immediate meeting with the jailed former prime minister, while distributing several PTI-related appeals among different benches.

The same bench had taken up 13 matters, including appeals filed by the Punjab government challenging Imran Khan’s bail, as well as an appeal against bail granted to his wife, Bushra Bibi.

In those proceedings, the court issued notice to the government on Khosa’s application but refused immediate relief. CJP Afridi observed that no order could be passed without hearing the opposing party and said the court would first decide objections regarding the maintainability of the petition.

He further noted that several connected matters were pending before other forums and remarked that the case appeared to have become infructuous, as it originated from the August 24, 2023 order.

Separately, the Supreme Court also directed the constitution of a three-member bench to hear appeals against the acquittal of Imran Khan and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.