IHC Suspends Order on Political Conversations in Prisons

A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday put a hold on a single bench’s decision that had nullified a provision in the Punjab Prison Rules. This clause previously forbade inmates from engaging in political discussions while incarcerated.

This directive was issued in response to an intra-court appeal submitted by the Punjab government, which contested the earlier judgment delivered by Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan.

The single bench had earlier declared the restriction unconstitutional, asserting that it infringed upon the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The contested clause, outlined in Section 265 of the Pakistan Prison Rules (1978), had prevented prisoners from holding political conversations within the confines of the jail.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Punjab Advocate General Amjad Pervaiz presented arguments to bolster the government’s appeal, urging the court to reinstate the prison rules’ enforcement until a conclusive ruling is made.

The larger bench granted the appeal and temporarily suspended the previous decision.

In a separate matter, the same larger bench, led by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, addressed all 11 petitions submitted by PTI leaders concerning visitation rights for Imran Khan in jail.

The court instructed the Adiala jail superintendent to execute the court’s decision from March 24 regarding jail visits with the PTI founder.

Notably, in March of this year, the same three-member bench had reestablished bi-weekly meetings with the imprisoned PTI founder, Imran Khan, scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays, following the established standard operating procedures (SOPs).