ISLAMABAD: Advocate Salman Safdar on Tuesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s health was “fine” after meeting him at Adiala Jail, adding that further details would be shared in a report to be submitted before the Supreme Court.
Safdar, who was appointed by the apex court as a friend of the court to assess the PTI founder’s living conditions, spoke briefly to the media following a nearly three-hour meeting with the former prime minister. “It is not appropriate for me to talk until I submit the report. The meeting has taken place and there was full access,” he said. When asked about Imran Khan’s health, he replied, “Fine. The rest you should see in the report.”
Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi had directed that Safdar be treated with due respect and granted unhindered access to Imran Khan. “It is expected that our friend of the court will be given access to the PTI founder at Adiala Jail with due respect,” the chief justice said, adding that his personal staff officer would assist in case of any difficulty.
A two-member bench comprising CJP Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan had instructed Safdar to visit Adiala Jail and submit a written report on the PTI founder’s living conditions and facilities, including access to his jail barrack. The court directed that the report be submitted by Wednesday and adjourned the hearing until the day after tomorrow.
During the proceedings, Safdar sought clarification on whether the scope of his report was limited to living conditions, informing the court that there were “some concerns” regarding Imran Khan’s health following a physical eye examination. In response, the chief justice directed that the report be submitted in chambers.
Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan told the court that a written response had already been submitted in chambers in compliance with an August 24, 2023 order, along with medical reports covering August 5 to August 18 of that year, when Imran Khan was incarcerated at Attock Jail. However, the chief justice observed that there was no order on record showing the court’s satisfaction following the submission and said a fresh report was necessary as the PTI founder was now lodged in a different jail.
The court rejected senior lawyer Latif Khosa’s request to meet his client and ordered that Safdar be allowed to conduct his visit the same day. A day earlier, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent plea by Imran Khan’s counsel for an immediate meeting, while issuing notice to the government on the matter.
Meanwhile, the apex court also directed the formation of a three-member bench to hear appeals against the acquittal of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
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