Imran Khan’s Phone Rights Under Scrutiny in Adiala Jail

A special court dealing with cases under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) has requested the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, for its upcoming hearing on October 18. This development followed the jail superintendent’s decision, based on the prison’s manual, to deny Imran Khan, the former prime minister and PTI chairman, the right to contact his sons abroad. Inmates held under the OSA are generally prohibited from communicating with individuals outside Pakistan.

A similar restriction was observed during Imran Khan’s detention in Attock Jail, where he was denied phone or WhatsApp access to his sons. Although the Islamabad High Court suspended Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case, he was later arrested in the cypher case. This arrest, initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency’s Counter Terrorism Wing, was based on allegations of the “wrongful use” of a classified document under the OSA.

The OSA complaint accuses Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi of sharing confidential information with unauthorized individuals, potentially compromising state security. The inquiry leading to this case was completed on October 5, 2022.