Pakistan: Imran Khan seeks cases against Maryam Nawaz, others for denying jail facilities

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) to lodge a case against the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and eight police officials.

Imran Khan’s lawyer Tabish Farooq submitted the request to CPO Khalid Hamdani, demanding lodging of cases against Maryam Nawaz, the Adiala Jail superintendent, ASP Zainab, SHO Aizaz, the Adiala outpost in-charge, and others – eight people, a local media report said on Tuesday.

In the petition sent to the CPO’s office through courier service, the petition stated that Imran Khan was not given standard facilities in prison. It is alleged that even his basic rights as a prisoner were being violated on the instructions given by the Punjab Chief Minister.

The petition stated that there is no electricity in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s prison cell, and his family were not being allowed to meet him.

It said that he is “constantly kept in darkness” and that all these measures are being taken on the directives issued by Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

The petition stated that Adiala Jail comes under the jurisdiction of the Punjab government and references a past threat allegedly made by Maryam Nawaz that Imran Khan is a “seditionist.”

The request accused ASP Zainab, SHO Aizaz and the outpost in charge of harassing Imran Khan’s family in collusion and breaching a high court order by stopping his sisters from visiting him.

Consequently, the petition sought registration of a case against all eight persons.

Last month, PTI raised concern over what it termed as “inhumane” treatment of Imran Khan in prison, claiming that he is being held in a “death cell” under near-total isolation.

While addressing a press conference on July 17, PTI Central Secretary for Information Sheikh Waqas Akram claimed that Imran Khan is being kept in solitary detention for 22 hours daily and denied access to newspapers, television, books, and is not allowed to meet his legal team and close associates.

Akram stressed the conditions amount to psychological torture and violation of basic human rights, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

He said, “Imran Khan is effectively cut off from the world. His fundamental right to meet six designated individuals is being denied, despite explicit court orders, which constitutes contempt of court.”

He added that similar restrictions were being imposed on Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who is allegedly being denied family visits.

He urged the judiciary to restore its “dwindling credibility and independence” in the face of what he described as the executive’s open refusal to obey court rulings. He stated, “The violation of judicial orders is not just an insult to the courts but to the entire justice system.”

IANS