ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the federal government submitted comprehensive details regarding the facilities provided to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan during his imprisonment at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail. This submission was in response to Khan’s claims of being in “solitary confinement” and not receiving adequate provisions.
The government presented photographic evidence showcasing the amenities available to Khan. These included an exercise bike, a stretching belt for physical fitness, a separate kitchen, a special menu, an exclusive gallery for walks, an LED television, a room cooler, and a study table. Additionally, the document listed all individuals who have visited him in prison.
This submission occurred during the hearing of intra-court appeals challenging the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law amendments, attended by Imran Khan via video link from the jail. The appeals are being heard by a five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, alongside Justice Aminuddin, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi.
In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court (SC) had instructed Khan’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, to meet his client in jail. Khan has also contested the NAB law amendments, which a three-member SC bench had previously declared null and void upon Khan’s petition.
The NAB amendments case stems from a September 2023 SC decision that approved Khan’s challenge to amendments made to the country’s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government. The bench, led by then-chief justice Umar Ata Bandial and including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, held over 50 hearings. In a 2-1 majority verdict, the court restored graft cases against public office holders that had been closed following the amendments, thereby declaring the amendments void.
The implications of this verdict are significant, as it reopens references against numerous political leaders and public office holders. These include the Toshakhana reference involving Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the LNG reference against ex-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and the rental power reference against former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Following the SC verdict, the federal government has filed an appeal against the order, further complicating the legal landscape surrounding these high-profile cases.
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