The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday set aside initial procedural objections and allowed a petition by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to proceed. Afridi had asked the court to intervene after prison authorities refused his request to meet PTI founding chairman Imran Khan at Adiala jail.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case and directed the relevant officials to respond. Notices were issued to the interior secretary, the Punjab Home Department secretary, the inspector general of police and the superintendent of Adiala jail, with the court asking for their written responses by October 23.
Afridi filed the petition on October 17, two days after taking the oath as KP chief minister on October 15. On October 16 he received protective bail from the Peshawar High Court and went to Adiala jail to request a meeting with Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated there. Prison officials denied that request, prompting Afridi to approach the IHC.
Initially, the registrar’s office had raised questions about whether the petition was maintainable. During Monday’s hearing, Afridi’s lawyer, Advocate Ali Bukhari, told the court that the registrar’s office had flagged several objections. After hearing arguments, the court decided the matter should move forward and issued the notices.
In his petition, Chief Minister Afridi argued that meeting the PTI founder is a necessary step in forming the provincial cabinet and securing guidance on governance matters. The application stresses Afridi’s elected mandate: he says he represents some 45 million people of KP and that voters in the province overwhelmingly supported PTI in the 2024 general election, through which the party won 92 seats.
The plea further notes that Imran Khan’s incarceration in Adiala jail makes access to him particularly important at this juncture, given what Afridi described as pressing law-and-order and economic challenges in the province. Afridi’s legal team asked the court to direct prison and law enforcement authorities to allow the meeting, arguing that such consultations are important for the newly formed provincial government.
By issuing notices to the senior officials and the jail superintendent, the IHC has given the authorities an opportunity to explain why the meeting was denied and to state their position in court. The matter is scheduled for further consideration after the requested responses are filed on October 23.
