Imran Khan moves court after being denied permission to talk to his sons

• Khan denied permission for being a secrets act accused.
• PTI chief detained in Attock jail in cipher case.
• Says Attock jail superintendent violated special court order.

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Monday filed a petition in a special court against Attock jail superintendent for allegedly denying him permission to speak to his sons over phone.

Khan, who is in judicial custody till September 13 in cipher case, has been incarcerated in Attock prison since his arrest on August 05 after a trial convicted him in the Toshakhana case.

Last month, he was granted permission by the special court, formed to hear cases registered under Official Secrets Act, to speak to his sons.

However, the PTI chief in the petition today sought contempt of court proceedings against the Attock jail superintendent for violating the court’s order.

In the petition, Khan claimed that jail officials denied him permission to have telephonic conversation with his sons on the pretext that he was held under Secrets Act.

Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain issued notice to Superintendent Attock Jail Arif Shehzad and sought a report on the implementation of the court's order on September 15. 

Earlier, the PTI chief, through his lawyers Umair Niazi and Shiraz Ahmed had filed a petition before Judge Zulqarnain seeking permission to talk to his sons Qasim and Sulaiman — living in London with their mother — on the telephone.

“I want to talk to my sons Qasim and Sulaiman on the telephone or via WhatsApp,” he pleaded, which was approved by the court.

The judge had directed the Attock Jail officials to make arrangements for the father to speak to the sons over the phone.

It is important to note that during the government of Imran Khan in 2018, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif wasn’t allowed to speak to his ailing wife who was then battling with cancer in a London hospital.

Begum Kulsoom Nawaz passed away in September 2018 in the UK capital.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and other party leaders have mentioned this on multiple occasions, slamming the PTI government for this “cruelty”.