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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan slammed the authorities for not permitting her to meet her brother in Adiala Jail despite orders issued by the court, Dawn reported.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Aleema Khan expressed regret over what she termed the denial of basic human rights. On Monday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) submitted a list of individuals approved to meet Imran Khan to the Superintendent of Adiala Jail. The names of Salman Safdar, Gohar Khan, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Abuzar Salman Niazi, Niazullah Niazi, and Zaheer Abbas. However, authorities allowed only Zaheer Abbas and Faisal Chaudhry to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. Speaking to Dawn, Niazullah Niazi said that, since his appointment as Imran Khan's spokesperson on March 24, he had been allowed to meet him only twice. Niazi said, "After the initial meetings, I have not been permitted to meet him, simply because I conveyed Imran Khan's message without altering it. The same situation applies to Salman Akram Raja." Last week, PTI leaders and Imran Khan's sisters filed contempt petitions against the Adiala jail authorities, accusing them of defying court orders by repeatedly denying them access to meet the PTI founder, Dawn reported. Appearing before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on April 25, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, along with PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Aliya Hamza and others, called for action against what they described as the jail administration's consistent refusal to allow court-ordered meetings. Aleema Khan, represented by Advocate Ali Bukhari, submitted a contempt petition naming the Punjab home secretary and the Adiala jail superintendent as respondents. The petition described the denial of access to Khan as a "blatant violation of court orders." It also pointed out that the IHC had previously allowed Imran Khan to meet his family, lawyers, and party representatives twice a week--on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The petition further noted that a complete list of approved visitors, including legal counsel and family members, had been submitted in compliance with the court's directive. However, it alleged that even scheduled visits were blocked by jail authorities. It argued that access to legal representation and family is a fundamental right, particularly for a former prime minister facing multiple legal proceedings, Dawn reported. The petition further stated that the jail administration's conduct constituted a breach of both the court order and the jail manual. Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz had previously filed a similar contempt petition, which is still pending scheduling for a hearing by the court. Speaking to the media outside the IHC, Aleema Khan condemned the jail authorities for preventing legal counsel from meeting Khan. She stated, "The court has clearly issued an order for a list of lawyers [to meet Khan]. Why are they being stopped? "She expressed concern that the interference was aimed at "sabotage" of the PTI founder's legal defence and accused authorities of "deliberate interference" in the judicial process. (ANI)
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