ISLAMABAD: The Adiala jail authorities on Friday confirmed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shehryar Afridi is being kept in a “cell” but not a death cell.
During a hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on a plea to provide A-class to Afridi and allow his family to meet him, the authorities informed the IHC that since the PTI leader is a high-profile personality, he cannot be kept in barracks.
They also stated that they have written to the district commissioner (DC) regarding the former minister’s change of class in the jail, however, the authorities maintained that the prisons were “already over capacity”.
In his remarks, Afridi’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat informed the high court that despite the court order, he was not allowed to meet his client but Fawad Chaudhry was allowed to meet the former minister.
Subsequently, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir reserved the decision on Afridi’s plea.
On May 29, Marwat informed the IHC that his client is being kept in a “death cell”. During the hearing of a case against the arrest of the PTI leader, the lawyer had requested Justice Tahir to transfer Afridi to an A-class jail.
He had also requested the court to order a medical check-up of his client, adding that the former minister fell at the time of his arrest due to which his “left arm is paralysed”.
The PTI leader was arrested on May 16. According to the party, the ex-minister was “picked up” from Islamabad allegedly along with his wife.
Afridi was reportedly arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960, which enables the government to arrest persons “acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety”.
