ISLAMABAD: A day after he was denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to meet the former prime minister to consult him on matters related to the formation of the provincial cabinet.
The petition, filed through Advocate Syed Ali Bukhari, names the federal and Punjab interior secretaries, the inspector general of Punjab police, and the superintendent of Adiala jail as respondents. It argued that consultation with the PTI founder, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala jail, is both legally and ethically necessary for the provincial government in connection with sensitive governance and administrative matters.
According to the petition, the KP government had already submitted requests to the federal interior ministry and the Punjab home department seeking permission for the chief minister to meet the PTI founder, but no approval was granted.
KP Advocate General Shah Faisal also verified his biometrics at the IHC under a special power of attorney authorising him to pursue the petition on behalf of the provincial government. Speaking to reporters outside the court, he said CM Afridi had come to file the application for the meeting and, after completing the process in the high court, intended to move the Supreme Court as well.
“The chief minister’s consultation with the party founder is essential regarding the formation of the new cabinet,” Mr Faisal said, adding that he would also meet the Chief Justice of Pakistan to discuss the matter on the administrative side.
PTI leader Ali Bukhari, who accompanied the KP advocate general, told journalists that the chief minister had personally visited Adiala jail on Thursday but was not allowed to meet the PTI founder. He said CM Afridi had also sought the prime minister’s permission by phone, but to no avail.
Mr Bukhari contended that the ban on meetings, imposed on Nov 26 last year, was contrary to jail regulations and violated the right to visitation enshrined in the Pakistan Prisons Rules. He alleged that even court directions regarding visitation rights were being ignored.
“Under the jail manual, meetings with inmates are a right, not a privilege,” he said, adding that the KP government had requested the IHC for an early hearing of the case.
The petition requested the court to allow an immediate meeting between the chief minister and the PTI founder and to issue directives permitting periodic consultations in the future as well.
The IHC is expected to fix the case for hearing next week.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2025
