IHC examines plea for Imran jail meeting

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday questioned the legal standing of National Dialogue Committee members, seeking permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, while hearing their petition alongside objections raised by the court's registrar office.

Justice Umair Majid Malik observed that a larger bench had already laid down a mechanism for jail meetings and directed that any future applications of a similar nature would be heard by the same bench or one of its three members.

The petition was filed by former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Mahmood Maulvi and Barrister Saif, all members of the National Dialogue Committee.

During the hearing, the petitioners' counsel, Faisal Chaudhry Advocate, informed the court that the registrar's office had raised objections to the application. Justice Malik said the registrar's office had pointed out that a mechanism governing meetings with prisoners had already been settled by a larger bench.

The judge also questioned the petitioners' entitlement to seek a meeting with the PTI founder, asking how their legal right to such access was established.

In response, Faisal Chaudhry said the petitioners were prepared to submit an undertaking that they would comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and mechanism prescribed by the court. He also assured the court that the committee members would not speak to the media after meeting Imran Khan.