SOPs formalised for Imran visitations in jail

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has designated three focal persons for meetings with him in Adiala Jail following the establishment of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in coordination with the prison superintendent.

The SOPs, aimed at facilitating the "smooth conduct of meetings" for convicted prisoner Imran Khan with his lawyers, family members, and friends/colleagues, were formalised in a document dated March 28.

The development came in compliance with several directives issued by the Islamabad High Court earlier this month.

According to the SOPs, PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Sher Afzal Marwat, along with Barrister Umair Ahmad Khan Niazi, have been assigned as focal persons for meetings with Imran at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Under the outlined guidelines, Imran will be allowed to meet his family and lawyers in two separate sessions on Tuesday, while a single session on Thursday will be reserved for his "lawyers/friends."

Read Adiala jail ban sparks outcry

The duration of each meeting is expected to range from 30 to 45 minutes, with a maximum of six individuals permitted in each session.

Prospective visitors intending to meet Imran must coordinate with the jail authorities through the designated focal persons, who will provide the visitor list — consisting of two individuals per focal person — one day before the scheduled meeting, adhering to the six-person limit.

The document emphasises Imran's autonomy in deciding whom he wishes to meet.

It concludes by stipulating that individuals possessing orders from the Islamabad High Court will be accommodated in the meetings, with priority determined by either the PTI founder or the designated focal persons.

It is pertinent to note that the Punjab Government had imposed a two-week ban on visitors at Adiala Jail on March 12, citing security concerns based on intelligence reports.

PTI leaders criticised the ban, alleging it was a deliberate attempt to obstruct their meetings with Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated at the facility.

A petition filed by Marwat was taken up by Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir on March 13, leading to a notice issued to the jail superintendent to appear before the bench the next day. In his plea, Marwat had argued against the ban, claiming it deprived prisoners of their right to meet visitors or consult their legal teams, urging the court to overturn the decision.