Petition seeking A-Class jail facilities for PTI chief filed in IHC

Petition seeking A-Class jail facilities for PTI chief filed in IHC

Islamabad (Web Desk): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the transfer of the party chief and former premier Imran Khan from Attock district jail to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

As per the reports, the PTI chief was given B-Class facilities by the Punjab prisons department. However, his lawyers and the party on Sunday claimed they were not allowed by the jail administration to meet the PTI chairman.

In a petition, filed through Khan's attorney Naeem Haider Panjotha, it has been requested that the former premier be to Adiala Jail where A-class facilities are available, adding that his family, lawyers and personal physician Dr Sultan should be allowed to meet him.

The petition named the state, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal, and the superintendents of Adiala Jail and Attock Jail the respondents in the case.

The petition further requested for “better class/A-Class” jail facilities to be provided to the PTI chief under Rule 243 (classifying authority) of the Pakistan Prison Rules (PPR) read with Rule 248 (classification of under-trial prisoners) of the same.

The petition added that Khan was being kept in a "small cell of 9 x 11 feet".

It further said that Dr Faisal Sultan is the physician of the PTI chief for twenty-five years and is aware of the entire medical history of the petitioner.

It stated that due to previous injuries sustained by the petitioner including a fall in 2013, the bullet injuries caused in the Wazirabad attack and for overseeing the health conditions of the petitioner, the access to Dr Faisal Sultan is required to be granted.

Requesting that the court declare Khan's stay in Attock jail "illegal" and that he be moved to Adiala, the petition stated that the former premier be allowed to see his family, doctor and political aides in the "interest of justice."

Meanwhile, it was reported that the PTI chairman was shifted to cell no 2 in Attock jail, which has high security and “better facilities”.

Size of cell no 2 is bigger than the previous one and has a table, chair, mattress, and bed.

A medical officer has been deputed for 24 hours to conduct former premier's medical examination in three shifts. Security inside and outside the jail is also on high alert.

Commandos of the prison department are continuously deployed, while the external sides of the cells are also being monitored by CCTV cameras.

Without the permission of the superintendent, no jail officer is allowed to enter the cell where the PTI chief is imprisoned. A Rescue 1122 ambulance with paramedic staff is also kept outside the jail 24 hours a day.

Imran Khan was arrested on August 5 after a after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case.

He was awarded a three-year jail term by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, in the case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly  concealing Toshakhana gifts he had retained.

The court also disqualified the PTI chief for five years.

The PTI chief was arrested from his Lahore's Zaman Park residence and was shifted to Attock jail.