IT may have taken seven months, but incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan has finally met his lawyer. Meetings between prisoners and their counsel are a right, but the unfortunate fact is that when it comes to the PTI chief, legal requirements have mostly been ignored. The PTI says that Barrister Salman Safdar only discussed legal issues with the former prime minister, and that political matters were not brought up in the brief meeting. Mr Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was also present.

While the decision to allow the PTI chief to consult his counsel is welcome, the state must not think that it has displayed great munificence by granting this access — Mr Khan must be given all the facilities the law sanctions to those in jail. This is all the more imperative following the Supreme Court’s order in August that Mr Khan be allowed to visit a private hospital in Islamabad and consult physicians of his choice. It had also upheld his rights to regular family visits. As the learned court noted, “a prisoner does not … cease to be entitled to humane treatment and necessary medical care”. Yet the government has been highly selective in its interpretation of the court’s orders, taking Mr Khan, instead, to a government health facility, and largely disallowing family visits. In fact, Mr Khan’s sisters were themselves incarcerated under the Maintenance of Public Order in September. They have similarly had great difficulty in meeting family members. Whether it is Mr Khan, his family members, or other incarcerated political leaders and activists, the state should not deny them their rights. These include adequate medical care, family visits, and access to counsel of their choice. The rulers must show basic humanity as well as respect for the Constitution. The PTI, which is currently facing an internal crisis, also needs to eschew its combative rhetoric, and engage with other political actors in order to end the deadlock facing the country, and help salvage the democratic project.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2026