Special court extends judicial remand of Imran, Qureshi till October 10 in cipher case.
RAWALPINDI - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was shifted to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Attock district prison on the directives of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Adiala Jail authorities also confirmed the development late Tuesday. They said the former PM was brought to the prison in Rawalpindi amid tight police security. The PTI also posted a video on the social media showing party supporters showering rose petals on the police convoy transporting Imran near the Islamabad Toll Plaza. According to official sources, the PTI chief was provided with a high-security B-Class barrack in Adiala jail, where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also kept. Imran will be provided the facilities as per the directions of the court. They said there would be an attached bathroom with his room in the prison. A prison service facility will also be provided to the PTI chief around the clock.
Just one day after pleading with the court to shift Imran to Adiala jail, his lawyer claimed that the PTI chairman had adjusted himself in the Attock prison. During an interaction with journalists, Barrister Umair Niazi took a U-turn from the PTI legal team’s stance on Monday in the IHC stating that his client had adjusted himself in the Attock jail. “After all jail is jail. I am fine in Attock jail,” Niazi said quoting the incarcerated PTI chairman. On Monday, Khan’s lawyer Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat requested the IHC that his client be given the facility of an exercise machine.
Earlier Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court issued a written order pertaining to shifting of Chairman PTI to Adiala Jail from District Jail Attock. Chief Justice, IHC Aamer Farooq issued the written order pertaining to the matter. It stated that the notification for shifting of PTI Chairman to Attock Jail was being terminated. The court directed the authorities to provide all facilities to the accused in jail as per the rules.
The order said that the accused was announced three-year jail term in Toshakhana case and the trial court directed to shift him Adiala Jail but the accused was imprisoned in Attock Jail on the recommendation of IG Prisons. It said that accused was not kept in Adiala Jail as the prisoners were housed there more than the capacity. It further said that the high court had suspended the sentence of accused on August 28, in toshakhana case after this his arrest was made in cipher case.
The order said that additional advocate general Punjab was of the view that it was a security risk to shift the accused to Adiala Jail. The order said that after suspension of sentence of PTI Chairman, his current status was an under trial prisoner.
It said that all under trial accused of Islamabad were kept in Adiala Jail, adding that only the convict people could be shift to other jails of Punjab.
It said that Chairman PTI being a former prime minister was deserved a better class in jail. The written order said that the lawyer had also prayed the court to provide exercise machines to the accused in jail, but the court could not pass directions in that regard. The chairman PTI could give such application to the jail administration in that regard, it added.
Meanwhile, a special court on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of PTI Chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi till October 10, in cipher case and instructed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for early submission of the challan.
Special Court’s Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the case against the accused at District Jail Attock. During hearing, Chairman PTI gave the statement that he had adjusted in Attock Jail now and didn’t want to shift to Adiala Jail. He said that he would ask his counsels to withdraw his case in this regard. On the occasion, accused Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also produced before the court wherein the judge also extended his remand till the same date. The police and other law enforcement agencies beefed up security inside and around Adiala Jail on Tuesday before shifting Imran from district jail Attock, informed sources. Heavy police contingents were deployed inside and around the Central Prison Adiala besides other routes including Dhamial Interchange of motorway to provide security to motorcade of Islamabad Police and the armoured personnel carrier (APC) vehicle transporting Imran Khan, the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), they said. A comprehensive traffic plan was also devised by the city traffic police to facilitate the commuters on Chakri and Adiala Road. According to details, ex-PM Imran Khan was moved to Adiala Jail from district prison Attock following the orders of Islamabad High Court (IHC). Earlier, heavy contingents of Islamabad Police reached the Attock jail to shift PTI Chairman Imran Khan to the Adiala prison.
