ISLAMABAD: PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and others to hold talks with party founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail about award of PTI tickets to aspirants for the Feb 8 elections, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge observed that creating impediments to such meetings raised questions about the impartiality of the caretaker government.

Hearing a petition filed by Barrister Gohar through advocate Shuaib Shaeen, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked on Friday that the caretaker government should remain neutral and should not take such steps that would derail the election process.

During the course of arguments, the court was informed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued the schedule for the upcoming elections and members of PTI’s core committee require frequent meetings with Imran Khan for selection of candidates and award of tickets for the constituencies of national and provincial assemblies across the country.

The counsel urged the court to grant permission to Barrister Gohar, Hamid Khan, Shadab Jafferi, Shuaib Shaheen and Intizar Panjhuta to meet Imran Khan.

After an initial hearing, Justice Aurangzeb issued notices to the jail superintendent.

Islamabad Advocate General Ayyaz Shaukat and Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Duggal opposed the request.

The court observed, “These two gentlemen hold brief for a caretaker government, which is expected to be impartial in the process leading up to the elections. Creating impediments in the meeting between the former and the present chairman of a political party on a matter as to the award of the tickets is a serious question mark on such impartiality.”

Justice Aurangzeb further observed that “it ought to be realised that the status of the former chairman PTI with whom the petitioner wants to confer is that of an under-trial prisoner. The sentence awarded to him in one case has been suspended by this court.”

The court also noted that deliberations on award of tickets to the candidates “is a matter of a fundamental right enshrined in Article 17 of the constitution, which is to take precedence over any of the jail rules”.

The court allowed Imran Khan’s meetings with the chairman and members of the PTI’s core committee and stated that “such meetings shall be under the supervision of the superintendent Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi on such days and for such periods as he may reasonably determine”.

It may be mentioned that a similar petition was filed by PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat. However, he was seeking permission for Asad Qaiser and 13 members of the party to meet Imran Khan. That petition could not be taken up since the registrar office had raised administrative objections.