Pakistan court upholds order allowing meetings with jailed Imran Khan

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday upheld its earlier decision and directed jail authorities to ensure that meetings with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan take place as ordered.

The newly appointed chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Sohail Afridi, appeared before the court seeking permission to meet Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the opposition leader has been held since August 2023.

A bench led by Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar heard the case concerning restrictions on visitors.

In March, the court had ruled that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — the party Khan founded — could nominate a small group of family members and leaders allowed to meet him twice a week.

However, for the past seven months, Thursday meetings have reportedly not taken place, and even senior PTI members have been denied access.

Jail authorities have also filed a separate appeal arguing that Khan should not be permitted to make political statements from prison. The Islamabad High Court previously ruled that prisoners retain the right to express political opinions if they have the right to vote.

Afridi, a close ally of Khan who replaced former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur earlier this month, has said he will not form his Cabinet until he meets Khan and receives his approval for Cabinet appointments.

Khan, 72, a former cricket star turned populist leader, was ousted from power in 2022 and later convicted in multiple corruption and state secrets cases. He denies wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated.