ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court appointed senior advocate Salman Safdar as amicus curiae to assess the living conditions and health of imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi directed prison officials to fully cooperate, ensure Safdar’s respectful treatment, and grant him immediate access to Khan. To address potential issues, the chief justice assigned his personal staff officer to assist.
A two-member bench, including Chief Justice Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan, tasked Safdar with inspecting Khan’s conditions at Adiala Jail, including his barrack and overall treatment. Safdar’s report was due Wednesday, with subsequent proceedings postponed.
During the hearing, Safdar sought clarification on his responsibilities, mentioning health concerns raised after an initial eye exam of Khan. The chief justice instructed Safdar to include health assessments in his report.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court of a previous compliance report regarding Khan’s time at Attock Jail from August 5 to 18, which included medical records. However, Chief Justice Afridi cited the need for a new evaluation following Khan’s transfer to Adiala Jail.
The bench expressed confidence in Safdar’s capability and deemed a fresh report necessary. Tensions arose when senior lawyer Latif Khosa was denied permission to address the court and meet with his client. Instead, the court prioritized Safdar’s jail visit.
This followed the Supreme Court rejecting an urgent plea from Khan’s legal team on Monday for immediate access to the detained ex-prime minister. The court also reassigned PTI-related appeals across separate benches, including 13 cases involving bail challenges and a petition by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi.
Chief Justice Afridi noted that intertwined legal matters were pending in other forums and highlighted changes brought by the August 24 order. Separately, the Supreme Court formed a three-member bench to review appeals on the acquittals of Imran Khan and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
