Court allows imprisoned Khan to hold election talks in jail

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan, who is in prison on corruption charges, won a court order on Friday to meet his party leaders and lawyers before the general election next month.

The Islamabad High Court granted Khan the right to hold consultations on the distribution of tickets to candidates for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the February polls.

The court also directed the jail authorities to ensure Khan’s privacy during the meetings, which will take place at the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi.

Khan had filed a petition arguing that it was his fundamental right to participate in the electoral process and that he needed to discuss the party’s election strategy with his allies and legal team.

The court rebuked the attorney-general and the advocate general, who opposed Khan’s plea, for representing the caretaker government that is supposed to be neutral and impartial.

Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb cited an additional note by a Supreme Court judge, who had stressed the need for a genuine election without any perception of oppression or repression against any party.

“Is the additional note from the Supreme Court insufficient for you? Do you want me to write a note against you as well?” Justice Aurangzeb said.

He said permission for consultations on polls is a “fundamental right” and that the caretaker government should be “neutral” during elections.

“Opposing meetings between PTI chairman and Imran raises questions on the neutrality of the interim set-up,” he said, adding that the caretakers seemed to want to “derail the polls”.

“A terrible system is being run under the interim government where even consultation on elections is not allowed.”