Salman Akram Raja, the lawyer representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan, clashed with the staff of Adiala Jail on Monday after being denied access to meet his client.
The incident occurred when Raja attempted to meet Khan, who is currently imprisoned in the facility, Express News reported.
According to Raja, the jail staff initially refused his request without providing a clear reason, leading to a confrontation.
Azam Khan Swati, Nadia Khattak, Tabish Farooq, Mubashir Awan, and Ansar Kiyani were allowed to meet Imran. However, Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, and Niazullah Niazi were blocked from entering, prompting Raja to question the decision.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the selective approval of visitors with jail staff at Gate 5.
Raja questioned why certain names from their list were denied while others were allowed, stating, “We provided a list with names, but only Azam Swati was granted access. Why were the others not permitted?”
The jailer reportedly responded by explaining that the staff was processing those names first and would address the remaining requests subsequently.
Raja argued that this was not in accordance with the court’s instructions, which had specified that certain lawyers, including himself, should be granted access.
The standoff continued as Raja insisted that if his team was not allowed to meet with Khan, none of the visitors should be granted entry. Raja emphasised the importance of adhering to court orders, warning that failing to do so would upset Khan.
The jail administration later confirmed that the meetings with Khan had been restricted for security reasons but did not elaborate on specific conditions.
