The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reinstated biweekly meetings for former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, but also barred visitors from making political statements after the meetings.
The ruling, issued on Monday, allows Imran to meet family and lawyers on Tuesdays and friends on Thursdays. However, only those approved by Imran’s coordinator, lawyer Salman Akram Raja, will be permitted.
During the hearing, the court expressed concerns over visitors using jail meetings for political messaging. Acting Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar remarked that visitors should “meet and leave,” stressing that media talk was unnecessary.
The court ordered visitors to sign an undertaking ensuring they would not make public statements after meetings.
Jail authorities defended previous restrictions, citing security threats. They said they had consolidated Khan’s meetings into one day instead of two to manage risks.
The court dismissed the argument, stating that Imran’s biweekly visits had already been approved in a previous ruling.
Meanwhile, Imran’s legal team argued that scheduled meetings were being arbitrarily denied. His lawyer, Zaheer Abbas, claimed that despite proper requests, a scheduled meeting on March 20 did not take place.
Justice Dogar instructed Imran’s lawyers to approach the trial court separately if they wanted permission for his children to visit.
The ruling comes amid ongoing legal battles for Imran, who has been in jail since January after being convicted in corruption cases. His legal status changed from under-trial to convicted prisoner, affecting his jail privileges.
Jail authorities maintain that meetings should be limited for security reasons. However, the court stressed that political debates should not be held during or after visits.
Imran’s legal team assured the court that visitors would comply with the new restrictions, clearing the way for resumption of biweekly meetings.
With the court’s ruling, Imran Khan’s supporters and legal team will now be able to meet him twice a week. However, any violation of the media gag order could lead to further legal action.
The Islamabad High Court’s decision is seen as a small relief for Imran’s camp, but restrictions on political statements show the judiciary’s attempt to prevent jail meetings from becoming a platform for political messaging.
