Larger bench formed for Imran Khan's jail petitions

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has formed a larger bench to deal with petitions concerning the visitation rights and conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in Adiala jail. This three-member bench will now handle all issues relating to Mr. Khan's jail privileges, such as meetings with family and political leaders. The IHC has moved all 26 related petitions, including some against the jail superintendent, to this larger bench. This decision was prompted by a request from the jail superintendent, who faced challenges dealing with multiple benches. The goal is to have a single bench oversee these cases for consistency in decisions. The petitioners include Mr. Khan himself, his sister Noreen Niazi, and several political leaders. In one petition, a judge had asked for Mr. Khan to be presented in court, but this did not occur due to security concerns. A clerk later attempted to verify his access to legal counsel but could not meet him. During the hearing, a lawyer for the jail superintendent stated that rules for Mr. Khan’s political meetings have already been set, but the multiple petitions have complicated administration. The superintendent noted that the jail is currently overcrowded, housing over 8,000 inmates instead of the intended 2,000. Despite these overcrowding issues, he claimed that Mr. Khan is receiving all the rights allowed under prison rules, including meetings with visitors and access to reading materials. Mr. Khan's spokesman expressed sorrow over recent violent events and emphasized that the PTI party cannot be ignored at this time. He also mentioned that Mr. Khan wishes for quick hearings regarding his convictions and is unhappy about restrictions on phone calls and visits with family members.