By Asif Naveed
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday overruled the registrar office’s objections to a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who is seeking permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan. The court also issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent and other relevant officials for October 23.
Afridi submitted the plea on October 17, two days after taking oath as chief minister on October 15. A day earlier, on October 16, he had secured protective bail from the Peshawar High Court and visited Adiala Jail — where Imran has been detained since September 2023 — but was denied a meeting. Afridi had stated that he intended to finalise his cabinet after consulting Imran Khan.
Initially, the IHC registrar’s office raised objections regarding the maintainability of the petition, arguing that it was filed “without the provincial cabinet and government’s decision.” During the hearing, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir dismissed these objections, noting that the cabinet had not yet been formed.
Afridi’s counsel, Advocate Ali Bukhari, argued that the registrar’s objection was baseless since the provincial cabinet was still in the process of being constituted.
Following this, the court removed all objections and issued notices to the interior secretary, the Punjab Home Department secretary, the Punjab inspector general of prisons, and the Adiala Jail superintendent, seeking their response by October 23.
The petition contends that the KP government had earlier made formal requests to the federal interior ministry and the Punjab home department for permission to hold a meeting with Imran Khan, but no approval was granted. It further argues that consultation with the PTI founder is “legally and ethically essential” for the chief minister before taking key administrative and political decisions, including cabinet formation.
The IHC registrar’s office, in its earlier objections, pointed out that the court had already ruled on similar petitions and established a procedure for seeking permission to meet Imran Khan. It questioned why a new petition was filed without following the laid-down process.
