The Islamabad High Court directed the Advocate General Islamabad to facilitate the signing of the power of attorney of senior lawyer Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan by the founder of PTI, Imran Khan, through the superintendent of Adiala jail.
A division bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro also directed senior counsel Latif Khosa to come prepared with the relevant jail rules at the next hearing.
The court issued the directions during the hearing of a miscellaneous application seeking the transfer of the PTI founder to a hospital for treatment in connection with the appeal against his conviction on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s compliant for concealing Toshakhana gifts in his assets declaration.
During the proceedings, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Latif Khosa and other lawyers appeared at the rostrum. Mr Ahsan told the bench that he intended to submit his power of attorney in the case, but the document had not yet been signed.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir asked whether he wanted the hearing to be adjourned. Mr Ahsan replied that he was not seeking any delay. The judge then directed the Advocate General Islamabad to have the power of attorney signed through the jail authorities.
Officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan informed the court that their counsel, Amjad Pervez, had been appointed Advocate General Punjab and they required two to three days to engage a new lawyer.
The Advocate General Islamabad told the court that a report of the jail superintendent had already been submitted. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro observed that the report should have been shared with the petitioner earlier.
Mr Khosa read out the report of Adiala jail authorities, which stated that the PTI founder had been sentenced to three years in the case and had so far served 26 days.
According to the report, the PTI founder is undergoing regular medical check-ups through a medical board and had also been examined by doctors of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). He was taken to Pims twice for treatment related to his eye condition.
The court was further informed that the PTI founder had initially been examined inside the jail before being shifted to Pims for an injection required for treatment.
