IHC reserves verdict on pleas for Imran-style facilities

IHC reserves verdict on pleas for Imran-style facilities.

Key points

• Malik Asad Published August 28, 2026 Updated August 28, 2026 08: 19am.
• Justice Muhammad Asif reser­ved the judgement after hearing arguments from the petitioners, Advocate General Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik, Advocate General Punjab Barrister Zafarullah and jail authorities.
• The petitions were filed by Adiala jail prisoners Owais Altaf, Ilyas Khan and Muhammad Ismail.
• Malik Asad is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with two decades of experience covering legal affairs, judicial developments, and the civil bureaucracy.
• "Why can the relief given by the Supreme Court not be extended to a common prisoner?" the counsel questioned.

Malik Asad Published August 28, 2026 Updated August 28, 2026 08: 19am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on petitions seeking treatment at private hospitals and communication with relatives through WhatsApp calls for three prisoners of Adiala jail, observing that prisoners' rights could not be ignored merely since they were behind bars.

For context, the petitions were filed by Adiala jail prisoners Owais Altaf, Ilyas Khan and Muhammad Ismail. As well as permission to communicate with relatives through WhatsApp calls, the pleas seek permission for treatment at private hospitals as the necessary medical facilities are allegedly unavailable at administration hospitals.

In practice, the matter has assumed significance after the Supreme Court's Aug 18 order directing authorities to shift PTI founder Imran Khan to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment. Three other Adiala prisoners subsequently approached the IHC seeking similar relief.

During Thursday's hearing, the petitioners' counsel argued that one of the prisoners was suffering from a serious bleeding disorder and had developed internal bleeding in the sizeable intestine. It could prove life-threatening.

In practice, the counsel remarked the prisoner had been in jail for around six months and had repeatedly been taken to hospital for treatment.

He argued that if the required treatment was not available with­­in the prison or administration hospital system, the prisoner should be shifted to a private hospital.

He further contended that the SC order was still operative and that its directions could not be treated as applicable only to the PTI founder.

Notably, the lawyer argued that prisoners were additionally citizens and were entitled to equal treatment before the law.

According to arguments, one of the petitioners, Muhammad Ismail, is an undertrial prisoner who has remained incarcerated for around six months and is suffering from a heart ailment.

For context, the lawyer alleged that the Superintendent Adiala jail had rejected the request for treatment without consulting a doctor.

Barrister Zafarullah maintained that the authorities would follow whatever was provided under the law and prison rules.

According to The judge, the petitions involved two distinct problems. On the matter of treatment, the Punjab law officer resisted the requests for shifting the three prisoners to private hospitals.

Justice Asif, nevertheless, cautioned that the authorities could not "play with the illness of a prisoner".

For context, the court additionally examined the request for communication with relatives through WhatsApp.

Justice Asif questioned where the law prohibited a prisoner from speaking to his family.

In practice, the Punjab Advocate General replied that the rules permitted calls to persons residing in Pakistan, adding that exceptional circumstances could be considered if a disease could not be treated at a administration hospital. Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026.

Malik Asad is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with two decades of experience covering legal affairs, judicial developments, and the civil bureaucracy. He can be discovered on X at @asadrp.

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