Salman Safdar Meets Imran Khan in Adiala Jail
Acting on direct instructions from the Supreme Court, lawyer Salman Safdar met jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan on Tuesday at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Officials and legal sources confirmed that Safdar was the only lawyer permitted to meet Khan, while other PTI leaders and family members were stopped at a checkpoint outside the jail.
Salman Safdar, who has been appointed as a friend of the court in cases involving Imran Khan, entered the jail through Gate No 5. The same gate was used by the family members of Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, who were also allowed access. The meeting between Safdar and Khan lasted around three hours and was held inside the former prime minister’s cell under strict compliance with court orders.
Also Read:
Several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and Khan’s relatives, including his sisters, Barrister Gohar, Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, had arrived at Adiala Jail hoping to meet him. However, they were stopped at the Marble Factory checkpoint and were not allowed to proceed further, sources said.
After the meeting, Salman Safdar told reporters that Imran Khan’s health was good and that the interaction took place strictly in line with the Supreme Court’s directives. He said he had fulfilled the responsibility assigned to him by the court and that the meeting was conducted without any deviation from the approved procedure.
The meeting followed a Supreme Court order earlier on Tuesday allowing Salman Safdar to meet Imran Khan in jail. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, along with Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, declared Safdar a friend of the court and directed him to assess and report on Khan’s living conditions. The court emphasized the need for an independent and updated assessment despite the submission of earlier reports and medical evaluations.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court rejected a request by PTI leader Latif Khosa to meet Imran Khan, noting that a prior order could not be implemented without hearing the other party. The court also highlighted that the purpose of allowing Safdar access was solely to ensure an impartial review of the former prime minister’s conditions in custody.
Outside the Supreme Court, Salman Safdar had earlier raised concerns over delays in case hearings and the scheduling of multiple cases simultaneously against Imran Khan, describing it as political victimisation. He also pointed out that the government had challenged every instance where Khan received relief, referring to the high-profile and costly Cypher case as an example of proceedings under intense scrutiny.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that previous assessments regarding Imran Khan’s health and jail conditions had already been submitted. However, the Chief Justice maintained that a fresh and independent report was necessary, expressing full confidence in Salman Safdar’s role as a friend of the court and directing him to submit his findings within the stipulated time.
Read all the Breaking News Live on pakistantimes.com and Get Latest English News & Updates from Pakistan Times. Follow us on Whatsapp channel for more.
