ISLAMABAD: Following the Supreme Court’s high-profile directives regarding the medical management of former prime minister Imran Khan, the Adiala Jail Prisoners Relief Petition has formally reached the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
According to Islamabad based journalists, three inmates incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s central facility approached the court on Friday, seeking non-discriminatory access to private medical care and international family communication facilities.
Justice Muhammad Asif presided over the preliminary hearing of separate petitions filed by prisoners Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail Khan, and Owais Altaf. The petitioners requested explicit judicial directions compelling prison authorities to entertain their private hospital treatment request and facilitate WhatsApp contact with relatives residing abroad.
IHC Issues Notices Over Inmates’ Plea
Taking up the consolidated filings, Justice Asif issued formal notices to the Adiala Jail administration and called for ad hoc comments from the Superintendent of Jail.
The court directed prison management to detail standard operating protocols governing specialized care and telecommunication access for general convicts.
Equal Protection Cited Following SC Order
Counsel representing the inmates anchored their arguments on constitutional guarantees of equal treatment, referencing recent relief extended to high-profile political figures.
The petitions argued that fundamental human rights and medical care under statutory prison rules must apply uniformly across the prison population.
As Adiala based inmates move to IHC, legal observers note that the filings directly challenge executive claims that private facility transfers risk setting discriminatory precedents inside central prisons.
Reviewing Equal Rights Under Adiala Jail Prisoners Relief Petition
The proceedings seemingly mark a growing legal trend where ordinary convicts invoke higher court rulings to challenge custodial restrictions. The court adjourned further proceedings pending written submissions under the Prisoners Relief Petition.
