Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir made the remarks while hearing a petition regarding alleged “inflammatory posts” shared from an X account operating in Imran Khan’s name. During the hearing, PTI leader and counsel Salman Akram Raja informed the court that he had been denied access to his client for legal consultation.
Justice Tahir noted that responses had been submitted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and jail authorities. He told Salman Akram Raja that final arguments in the case would be heard on February 24, provided he was able to meet Imran Khan before that date.
The judge directed Raja to submit a detailed response in a contempt petition related to the denial of meetings. He also ordered the Advocate General Islamabad to file a written reply on the matter. When informed that a larger bench was hearing cases related to jail meetings, Justice Tahir questioned how the case could move forward without proper consultation between the accused and his counsel.
Salman Akram Raja argued that a case had been filed against him, yet he was not allowed to meet his client even once since the filing of the petition. He reminded the court that an order issued on November 4 allowing meetings with Imran Khan had not been implemented for over two months. He also claimed that the former prime minister was being kept in solitary confinement.
Justice Tahir observed that the case could not proceed unless the lawyer was granted access to his client and assured that an order regarding the meeting would be issued. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the PTA’s response, terming it inadequate and irrelevant to the petition.
The hearing was adjourned until February 24. The court recalled that it had earlier directed Adiala Jail authorities to ensure Salman Akram Raja’s meeting with Imran Khan and had instructed state officials to immediately convey the order to the jail administration.
The court was also informed that restrictions on meetings with Imran Khan have recently increased. In December, a federal minister had stated that meetings with the incarcerated PTI founder would remain suspended until February 8.
The case stems from a petition filed in September challenging alleged inflammatory posts made from Imran Khan’s official X account during his imprisonment. The petitioner requested the court to investigate who was operating the account and to order the removal of such content, claiming it violated prison rules and the law.
In a written reply submitted earlier, Adiala Jail authorities denied that the account was being operated from inside the prison, stating that Imran Khan remains under strict surveillance and has no access to mobile phones or any prohibited devices.
