ISLAMABAD: Disputing the statements by PTI founder Imran Khan about his living conditions at Adiala Jail, the fed-eral government on Thursday submitted a report to the Supreme Court with pictures and details of the facilities and arrangements provided to him.
In the May 30 hearing on intra-court appeals (ICAs) moved by the federal government against the apex court’s September 15 majority judgment, which struck down amendments to the anti-graft laws, Imran had said he was in solitary confinement where he had no access to any material, legal assis-tance, or even a library.
He had complained that the jail authorities did not let him meet his legal team because of “the one-window operation inside the jail premises which a colonel was managing”.
Imran is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail serving out his sentence in the Iddat case. He was convicted in two Toshakhana cases as well but the sentences were suspended. Responding to his claims, the report submitted today by Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan Raja Muhammad Shafqat Abbasi said that “in the interest of propriety and for the purposes of bringing the correct factual position on record, details of monthly visits … as well as pictures of the barracks” Imran was staying in were attached.
The report said the court could appoint a judicial officer to verify the facts.
The pictures showed what looked to be Imran’s prison room with the description outlining facilities such as an LED TV, room cooler, study table and a chair. The second picture showed an “exclusive gal-lery” for the PTI founder to walk in twice a day.
The PTI criticised the state of Imran’s prison room, saying he was being kept “ in this tiny jail room, with no facilities“.
“As a former prime minister, Imran Khan is being denied his fundamental human rights, and basic facili-ties he’s entitled to by all this. History will remember this unprecedented fascism in Pakistan,” the par-ty said.
Meanwhile, talking to Geo News, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said it was “very neces-sary for the nation to know the truth and reality”.
She said it was Imran’s “distinctive point” that he “established new traditions of vindictive politics and gloated over it”.
Bokhari said she and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz never had an agenda of pursuing vindictive politics.
“The lie that is spread and the one-sided picture that is presented that he is in isolation and in a death cell with no facilities so that is why all factually correct things have been presented,” she said.
SC reserves verdict in NAB amendments case
Meanwhile, the five-member apex court bench reserved its verdict in the case.
Imran earlier addressed the bench via video link and asked if it thought he had engaged in “political point scoring”, referring to the court’s stated reasons for why live streaming of the case was not al-lowed.
“I was hurt. It was said that I am of an irresponsible character,” he said to which Chief Justice of Paki-stan Qazi Faez Isa said the court would not provide an explanation on its verdict and he could file a re-view appeal.
Justice Aminuddin Khan told the PTI founder to stick to the case.
Imran said he opposed the government’s appeal in the case, despite Justice Athar Minallah saying that he would be disadvantaged by the amendments.
The PTI founder said the apex court should appoint the National Accountability Bureau’s chairman, saying that if the government and opposition did not achieve consensus on the issue then the “third umpire” stepped in to make the appointment.
“NAB remains under the third umpire after then,” he said, alleging that the watchdog was not under the PTI government’s control during its tenure.
Justice Minallah said there was no reason to declare the NAB amendments invalid. “Maybe you didn’t read my note. What’s left after your statement about NAB?” the judge asked, referring to his dissent-ing note in the decision to not live stream the proceedings.
The judge asked Imran whether he trusted NAB to which the PTI founder said how could he after what the watchdog allegedly did with him in five days.
On Imran talking about the Dubai leaks and the financial information disclosed about assets of politi-cians stashed abroad, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said that if the situation was so dangerous then the PTI founder should sit and resolve issues with other political parties.
“When there is a fire, you do not see whether it is pure or impure, first you put out the fire,” the judge said.
Saying that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was allowed to fight elections while he was barred af-ter being sentenced in the course of a few days, Imran said there was martial law imposed in the coun-try. –Agencies
