IHC-approved meeting between Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and lawyers scheduled for 3pm today

Lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar are scheduled to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi at 3pm on Wednesday, following directions from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The meeting is expected to last one hour and will take place under an arrangement reached between the lawyers and the government after the high court directed authorities to facilitate access to the incarcerated couple.

The IHC issued the directions on Tuesday while hearing appeals filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi against their convictions in the £190 million case.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard arguments concerning the couple’s access to legal counsel, their medical conditions and preparations for the appeals.

Lawyers raise concerns over access to clients

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Salman Safdar told the court that he had been allowed to meet Imran Khan on November 3 after a gap of seven months. He had also met Bushra Bibi following an interval of 11 months, he said.

Safdar recounted that Bushra had questioned why he had not been able to meet her for almost a year, describing the restrictions on lawyers’ access to their clients as difficult for legal professionals.

He urged the court to ensure that lawyers could meet their incarcerated clients regularly so they could obtain instructions and adequately prepare their defence.

Sardar Latif Khosa also told the bench that he had previously sought permission to meet Imran Khan and had assured the court that he would not request another adjournment if access to his client was arranged.

However, he said he was still awaiting an opportunity to meet the former prime minister.

When Chief Justice Dogar asked how much time he required, Khosa requested at least an hour. The chief justice said the lawyer could present his arguments on the appeals at the next hearing after meeting his client.

Safdar also sought another meeting with Imran, maintaining that his previous interaction had not been sufficient to obtain all the necessary instructions. The chief justice initially observed that Safdar had already been permitted to meet the PTI founder and indicated that his direction concerned Khosa’s request.

The Islamabad advocate general subsequently proposed that meetings be arranged for both lawyers if they committed to beginning their arguments at the next hearing.

The court directed authorities to facilitate the meetings before adjourning the proceedings.

Safdar highlights Imran, Bushra’s health concerns

The lawyers also raised concerns about the health of the former prime minister and his wife during the hearing.

Safdar told the bench that Imran Khan’s eyesight had improved, but his blood pressure remained uncontrolled. He said the PTI founder had expressed concern that persistently high blood pressure could increase his risk of a brain haemorrhage.

Regarding Bushra Bibi, Safdar said her eyesight was in a poor condition and that she had undergone an operation around six months earlier. He told the court that another procedure was scheduled for November 15.

The lawyer questioned the adequacy of her post-operative care, arguing that she had been returned to her prison cell on the same day as her surgery despite doctors having performed the procedure on an emergency basis.

Safdar maintained that she needed appropriate medical treatment and argued that continuing to pursue the appeals while his client faced the risk of losing her eyesight was deeply concerning.

He requested that, if the court was not inclined to grant her bail, it consider allowing her temporary release for four to six weeks so she could receive medical treatment.

He also called for the formation of a medical board and the production of her complete medical records from Adiala jail.

Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Malik told the court that Bushra Bibi was receiving treatment in prison and had been provided with the required medical facilities. He also submitted details of her treatment, stating that a medical board had visited her for an examination on November 8.

Chief Justice Dogar observed that he had heard Safdar’s arguments at length but noted that the matter concerning the couple’s health was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). Safdar, however, maintained that no case concerning Bushra Bibi was pending before the constitutional court.

IHC allows time for appeal preparations

The defence also sought additional time to prepare arguments in the appeals, with Safdar telling the bench that the paper books required for the proceedings had not yet been compiled or provided to the lawyers.

Chief Justice Dogar assured the defence that the relevant documents would be made available and that the lawyers would be given time to prepare their cases.

The court’s directions for the jail meetings came as the defence sought greater access to the incarcerated couple ahead of the next stage of proceedings in their appeals against the convictions in the £190 million case.

Following Tuesday’s hearing, the lawyers and the state law officer agreed on a one-hour meeting at Adiala jail at 3pm on Wednesday, November 11, according to sources.