Pakistan: Imran Khan gets permission to hold telephonic conversation with his sons

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 18 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday got permission to hold a telephonic conversation with his sons, Qasim and Suleiman, from the court conducting the trial in the cypher case, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The Express Tribune is a English-language newspaper based in Pakistan.
The court instructed the superintendent of Rawalpindi's Adiala jail to facilitate the contact through WhatsApp.
Special court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain heard the petition seeking directives to jail officials to allow the PTI chief to contact his sons. Imran's counsel, Sheraz Ahmed Ranjha, appeared in court.
The judge then allowed the phone call to "family members" after observing that "the agonies of the family cannot [be] kept isolated", as per The Express Tribune.
The PTI chief's lawyer also requested the court's assistance in providing a bicycle for Imran's well-being. To this, the judge replied that he does not "want the cycle to be misused" and emphasised that the security of the under-trial prisoner was paramount.
The judge then stated that he will issue orders for the provision of a bicycle.
On the matter of home-cooked meals for the PTI chairman, the judge refused to entertain the request on grounds of fixing responsibility. "If meals are prepared in prison, then jail officials will be respondible."
The cypher case relates to a document waved by Imran, the then prime minister, at a public rally in March last year, terming it as evidence of a foreign conspiracy behind the no-confidence motion he faced at that time. The motion was carried a few weeks later, leading to the end of Imran's government.
The special court of Pakistan on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the cypher case against Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and postponed the indictment till October 23, reported The Express Tribune.
However, during the hearing at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain was informed that all case documents had been provided to the defence.
The defence team refused to accept the case challan at the previous briefing.
Meanwhile, the defence lawyer raised an objection to holding Qureshi's trial in prison, according to The Express Tribune.
Following which, the prosecutor said that a notification had been issued by the federal government.
Later, the judge said that the indictment process will be initiated at the next hearing.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) disposed of the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan seeking the hearing of a cypher case inside the Jail premises, directed the leader to approach the trial court on the matter, The Express Tribune reported.
The IHC announced the reserved verdict on the PTI's chief petition, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said that keeping in view the security issue, the trial inside the jail was in favour of Imran. He added that Imran had expressed concerns about his security several times. (ANI)