SHC issues notices to interior ministry on plea for Imran’s security

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the ministry of interior and others on a petition seeking security to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan in the Adiala jail.

Petitioner Abdul Wahab Baloch, who is the PTI’s provincial lawyers wing president, submitted that the PTI founder was implicated in several false cases and now he was incarcerated in the Adiala prison.

He said jail authorities had banned meetings of Khan due to various types of security threats to the prison as some anti-state terrorist groups supported by the enemies of Pakistan had planned to conduct targeted attacks. He submitted that the prevailing environment raises serious concern over the safety and security of the PTI founder, who was also a former prime minister.

He ssaid former prime ministers Liaquat Ali Khan and Benazir Bhutto were assassinated in the past and it was therefore necessary that the PTI founder be provided foolproof security in the Adiala jail.

The court was requested to direct the interior ministry to ensure safety and security of the PTI founder and take all measures, including a surveillance mechanism, to neutralise the security threat to him.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi inquired the petitioner about the maintainability of the petition as the matter pertained to the Punjab government. The counsel sought time to satisfy the court about the maintainability of the petition.

The court observed that the petitioner should approach the relevant forum if there were security threats to the PTI founder. It however issued pre-admission notices to the federal law officer and the ministry of interior to file comments on the petition by April 2.