RAWALPINDI – A major judicial intervention opened new chapter in jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, with Supreme Court ordering authorities to facilitate regular family meetings, arrange hospital treatment and expand his medical assessment amid growing concerns over his health.
The development unfolded dramatically when Imran’s sister Noreen Niazi was finally allowed to proceed to Adiala Jail to meet him, hours after the apex court issued directions guaranteeing family access.
Noreen arrived at Dahgal checkpoint with her sisters Aleema Khan and Dr Uzma Khan. Police initially stopped all three women, but Noreen was subsequently permitted to continue toward the prison. Jail officials later confirmed that she entered Adiala through Gate 5 and was scheduled to meet Imran in the conference room.
The development came alongside a separate family meeting involving Bushra Bibi. Her daughter Mehrunnisa and sister-in-law Musarrat Khawar Maneka were allowed to meet her at the jail.
Apex Court’s three-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, ordered authorities to facilitate weekly meetings between Imran and his family. The order followed examination of medical findings and a report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent. Both reports recommended greater interaction between Imran and his immediate family and wife, particularly because of concerns over anxiety and blood pressure.
Justice Waheed made it clear that family meetings should not be treated as a favour extended by prison authorities. The court regarded access to close relatives as a fundamental right. The permission, however, came with a political condition: PTI representatives must refrain from political activity and media engagement after meeting Imran.
PTI representatives subsequently assured the court that they would comply.
Before entering the jail, Noreen told reporters that she intended to inform Imran that the Supreme Court had granted permission for his family to meet him. She also said she would brief him about efforts being made by PTI workers on his behalf.
Aleema Khan welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention but argued that Bushra Bibi should have received similar relief earlier. She said the family had been seeking hospital treatment for Imran for approximately eight months. She described the court’s order as an important step toward securing the medical care they had been demanding.
She rejected claims that the family was exploiting Imran’s health for political purposes. “We are speaking as his sisters,” she said, arguing that criticism was inevitable when the family believed justice had not been delivered.
News Desk
About the Author
