The Special Court (Official Secrets Act) has issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent for not arranging a phone call between incarcerated PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his sons.
Imran Khan was sent to jail after being convicted in the Toshakhana case, and although his sentence was suspended on August 9, he remained in jail due to judicial remand in the cipher case.
The cipher case involves a diplomatic document that allegedly went missing from Imran Khan’s possession, with the PTI claiming it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power. Imran Khan and his aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in the case on October 23.
Last week, the special court allowed Imran to make a telephone call to his children every Saturday. However, a petition was filed by PTI lawyer Sheraz Ahmed Ranjha, alleging that the Adiala jail superintendent did not comply with the court’s order.
The plea stated that the prison official had “wilfully, deliberately, and intentionally violated the order of the honorable court” and requested that contempt of court proceedings be initiated against the superintendent. The application also sought immediate arrangements for a phone call between Imran and his sons.
The judge issued notices to the Adiala jail superintendent and requested responses to the petition, with the hearing adjourned until November 8.
PM office Cites Fair Trial Act as legal basis for audio recordings
In another development, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that there is a legal framework in place for audio recordings in Pakistan, and it does not interfere in the day-to-day “sensitive” affairs of intelligence agencies. This statement was made in response to the audio leaks case before the IHC.
The PMO noted that the Investigation for Fair Trial Act of 2013 provides a legal framework for audio recordings. However, it emphasized that the PMO maintains a “distant” relationship with intelligence agencies and does not interfere in their sensitive matters, as doing so would not be in the interest of the agencies or national security.
The reply also stated that the PMO expects intelligence agencies to operate within the boundaries of the law and the Constitution. It emphasized the importance of preventing the leakage of recorded audio, as required under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act ordinance.
The case arose from petitions filed by Najam Saqib, the son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, who was summoned to a parliamentary committee after an audio allegedly belonging to him was leaked to the media. The court sought clarification on the legality of recording audio and who is authorized to do so.
The federal government requested the court to dispose of the case in the last hearing on October 30, but Justice Babar Sattar adjourned the hearing and asked for a government reply.
