Khadija Shah, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist and member of the sub-committee on jail reforms informed Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on Wednesday that the committee was denied access to meet former Prime Minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice, Khadija Shah requested that directions be issued for a meeting between the jail reforms committee and Imran Khan to obtain his feedback on the conditions in the jail.
Khadija Shah detailed the committee’s recent visit to Adiala Jail, which she claimed was prepared for their arrival with a sterile environment, where a large contingent of jail staff accompanied them throughout the tour. The committee visited various sections, including the hospital, women’s barracks, and areas designated for prisoners with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Khadija Shah also noted that Pakistan’s prison population has swelled in the last two years, with a significant number of political prisoners contributing to the overflow. She pointed out that Imran Khan, currently incarcerated at Adiala, was one of these political prisoners, and obtaining his feedback was crucial for understanding what reforms were necessary in relation to political prisoners and their rights.
“You expressly instructed the jail administration and government officials to allow the subcommittee full access to all parts of the prison, free from surveillance and supervision,” Khadija Shah wrote, referring to the Chief Justice’s previous instructions. “Regrettably, when we requested to meet ex-PM Imran Khan, we were denied access.”
According to Khadija Shah, when the committee insisted on assessing the conditions of Khan’s accommodation, they were told he was at a jail trial, and later, the DIG of Adiala Jail, Abdul Rauf Rana, confirmed they would not be allowed to meet him.
Shah expressed her surprise at the denial, stating that, as a former prisoner, she had met with committees and government members monitoring prisoner conditions at Kot Lakhpat Jail without restrictions. She highlighted that Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Aalia Hamza, both former political prisoners, had also given feedback during their time in prison.
Khadija Shah urged the Chief Justice to arrange another visit to Adiala Jail, ensuring that the committee is granted access to Imran Khan so his feedback could be included in the report on prison reforms.
“As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ The actions of the jail administration must align with our commitment to prison reform, and they should facilitate our work,” Khadija Shah concluded.
She emphasised that the success of the reform process relied on an administration that was willing to support unbiased, comprehensive reforms for all prisoners, without selective interference.