 "In photos, Pakistan govt rejects Imran Khan's 'poor jail conditions' claim")
Pakistan’s government on Thursday presented the Supreme Court with details regarding the living conditions of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, aiming to counter his claims of mistreatment and solitary confinement without lawyer access, reported Dawn.
The submission included photographs of Khan’s prison cell, showcasing a collection of books such as Nelson Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, to emphasise Khan’s ability to read freely in jail.
The submission also listed family members, friends, lawyers, and party members who have visited Khan since his imprisonment in August last year on corruption charges. At 71, Khan is also battling numerous other cases, which he and his party argue are politically motivated to prevent his return to power. The government requested that the court appoint a judicial officer to verify these facts.
Khan had complained to the court last week about being held in solitary confinement without access to his lawyers. During a video-link court appearance later on Thursday, Khan asked Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to inspect his cell conditions. Isa agreed to appoint a commission for a surprise visit to the prison cell.
Khan’s party maintained their stance on his mistreatment, asserting that the pictures included were of the cell where Khan was kept in solitary confinement.
“It is a contradiction to the claim that a former prime minister is entitled to an A-class cell with an air-conditioned room & a helper to attend to the errands,” his party said in response to the submission.
The photographs in the government submission depicted a cluttered bedroom with a study table, chair, single bed, cooler, washbasin, and flat-screen TV. Clothes were seen draped over the chair and hanging on the wall.
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Another image showed a long walkway with barracks on either side, described as an “exclusive gallery for walking, twice a day”.
Additional photos depicted a separate kitchen with condiments, a collection of books on Islam, history, and politics, and a room equipped with an exercise bike and fitness equipment.
Imran Khan acquitted in three cases, several remain
Earlier this week, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party founder Imran Khan was acquitted in three high-profile cases, including the cipher case, in a major relief to the beleaguered former prime minister who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for making public a secret diplomatic communication.
The former cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August last year after being convicted in some of the nearly 200 cases slapped on him since his ouster in April 2022.
A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb acquitted Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
However, the duo are not expected to be released from prison due to Khan’s sentence in the Iddat case (illegal marriage) while Qureshi was arrested in a case linked to the May 9 violence. Qureshi is on physical remand till June 5.
Khan and Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the cipher case in January by a special court, established under the Official Secrets Act. Both Khan and Qureshi had challenged the verdict in the Islamabad High Court.