On Friday, a district and sessions court directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to ensure the appearance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in court on April 20.
Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas reviewed the petition concerning the Parliament attack case involving Khan and others. Naeem Panjotha, representing the former prime minister, presented the case.
Panjotha argued that the Adiala Jail Superintendent consistently ignores court orders. He urged the court to mandate compliance from jail officials for Khan’s appearance.
He also mentioned that jail authorities often present excuses, preventing Khan’s attendance via video link.
Acknowledging Panjotha’s points, Magistrate Abbas noted Khan’s current incarceration in Adiala Jail and considered using video links for court appearances.
Panjotha requested Khan’s physical presence in court, noting that the High Court allows political leader meetings via video link. He claimed that internet issues at Adiala Jail conveniently arise only for Khan.
“This week, Panjotha petitioned for Khan’s court production concerning his acquittal in two cases from a previous march,” the court stated. Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi, however, denied the request due to security concerns.
Kundi questioned who would ensure safety if incidents occurred while transporting Khan to court. Panjotha reminded that Khan had attended court voluntarily in the past and argued it was the government’s duty to ensure his security.
Despite Panjotha’s arguments for Khan’s in-person defence presentation, the plea was ultimately rejected, with Magistrate Kundi emphasizing the necessity of bail attendance.
