Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan passes order on contempt petition against Adiala jail superintendent
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 24th, 2024) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday (today) directed Adiala Jail superintendent to present Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan before it by 3pm.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan passed the order while hearing a contempt petition against Adiala jail superintendent.
During the proceedings, the court asked, "Are you implying that the government can obstruct justice with a notification?" The state counsel replied that the meetings were not held due to the lack of court proceedings.
Justice Ishaq pointed out that the petitioner alleges a violation of a judicial order due to a notification. He clarified, "I am not determining the validity of the notification; a separate petition would be necessary for that. However, denying the meeting despite the court order constitutes a breach."
When the judge inquired about the notification from the Punjab government regarding the halt of contempt proceedings, the government’s notification was presented. Justice Ishaq remarked, "This notification only covers October 21 to October 25; please provide the earlier one as well. Additionally, submit a report from the Interior Ministry addressing any security threats."
The state counsel indicated that the ban was enacted due to security threats following October 3. Justice Ishaq responded that the court does not accept security threats as a valid reason for denying lawyers access, which is also seen as contempt of court. He instructed the state counsel to comply with the court’s order by the end of the day.
The state counsel noted that the notification remains in effect until October 25. The judge expressed, "This notification contradicts my orders. These individuals are not lawyers; why were they denied access? Can the government issue a notification to seal a location and impede justice?"
Justice Ishaq reiterated, "This is contempt of my orders, and the Interior Ministry must provide clarification. The rules are clear; why has this petition been filed? The Interior Ministry needs to justify what security threat prevented the lawyers from entering. Orders were issued on October 6 and 17, which were also referenced."
The Islamabad High Court has mandated an online meeting between the PTI founder and his legal team. However, the Additional Attorney General raised objections, stating that such an order is inappropriate in a contempt case.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan concluded by instructing the authorities to ensure adequate security and present Imran Khan in court. The judge directed the jail officials to produce Imran Khan before the court by 3pm today.
The judge also warned that the superintendent must justify his absence if Imran Khan is not brought, particularly regarding the alleged security threat preventing his appearance.
Earlier, the lawyers and party leaders had made attempts to meet Imran KHan at Adiala jail but they were denied access. After denied access, the lawyers moved contempt petition against Adiala jail superintendent.
