ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has directed the lawyers representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the £190-million case to refrain from discussing political matters during and after their meetings with him in jail, limiting their interaction with their client strictly to legal issues.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif issued the direction in a two-page order while hearing the appeals filed by Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190-million case.
In its order, the court expressed the expectation that the two lawyers, Salman Safdar and Latif Khosa, would avoid political discussion both during their meetings with their client and afterwards. The court made it clear that the meetings were meant for the preparation of the legal case and not for any other purpose.
During the hearing, Latif Khosa told the court that he could not present his arguments without first meeting his client. Salman Safdar said that although he had received instructions from his client, the duration of the previous meeting had not been sufficient for the proper preparation of the case.
The court directed that the Advocate General would arrange the meeting between the lawyers and their client, and that the meeting must last for at least one hour.
The bench granted the lawyers one week to prepare their arguments in the appeals. It also directed the relevant office to prepare the paper books of the case within seven days.
Background to the order
The direction comes days after the high court had, on 10 November, directed the authorities to facilitate meetings between the former prime minister and his lawyers at Adiala Jail. Safdar and Khosa subsequently met Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on 11 November.
The appeals before the court relate to the £190-million case, in which both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are appellants. The proceedings will resume once the lawyers have completed their preparation within the time allowed by the court.
The court’s order underlines the distinction it seeks to maintain between legal consultation and political discussion in jail meetings, an issue that has repeatedly arisen in cases involving the PTI founder.
