Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), filing a contempt of court petition after authorities allegedly prevented party leaders and lawyers from meeting with PTI founder, Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
The petition, filed by opposition leader Omar Ayub through PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen, brings the Interior Secretary, Home Secretary Punjab, and the Superintendent of Adiala Jail into the case. Ayub’s petition contends that, as the opposition leader and representative of a major political party, he should have the right to consult Imran Khan on legal and party matters. However, despite court orders and a schedule set for meetings, Ayub argues that the prison authorities have not allowed such meetings to take place. Ayub has requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings, alleging the non-implementation of court orders. The IHC had previously issued an order on November 22, 2024, directing authorities to facilitate meetings with Imran Khan under a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Despite this, the meetings have not been allowed, according to the petition.
The case had come up earlier when the IHC addressed a similar complaint from Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, regarding her inability to meet her husband. During a hearing, the Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Abdul Ghafoor Anjum, had assured the court that the previous court orders were being fully implemented and that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being allowed to meet every Tuesday.
The court, led by Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, had asked the jail superintendent if the court’s orders had been followed. The superintendent confirmed the implementation, despite a lack of specific provisions for such meetings in the jail rules. He further stated that the weekly meetings between Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being allowed on a special arrangement.
However, the Chief Justice expressed frustration, remarking that there seemed to be an attempt to not follow the court orders. “They have the audacity to not implement the court orders,” Chief Justice Dogar said. The court disposed of the previous contempt petition, affirming that the orders would be enforced.
