A hearing was held regarding a petition seeking a ban on the X (formerly Twitter) account of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, during which the court declined to allow arguments on the issue of his lawyer’s access to him in jail.
Earlier, on November 4, Justice Arbab Tahir had directed authorities to arrange a meeting between Imran Khan and his counsel at Adiala Jail. However, during today’s proceedings, the court did not permit discussion on the alleged non-compliance with that order.
In the absence of senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Ali Bukhari presented arguments before the court. He informed the bench that on January 26, the court had sought a report from the government explaining why the lawyer was not being allowed to meet his client in connection with this case.
Justice Arbab Tahir declined to entertain arguments on the matter and observed that if Imran Khan’s counsel fails to present arguments at the next hearing, the court may proceed to decide the case after hearing the petitioner’s side.
Advocate Ali Bukhari argued that it was not possible to properly contest the case without meeting his client and receiving instructions. However, the court did not engage further on the point and adjourned the hearing to a later date.
The case remains pending, with legal representatives maintaining that access to counsel is essential for fair proceedings.