The Supreme Court’s registrar’s office has dismissed a petition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who sought permission to meet jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan for consultations on provincial governance.
The registrar cited procedural flaws — including the absence of a signed power of attorney — as grounds for rejecting the plea, which was filed under Article 184(1) of the Constitution. This clause allows the Supreme Court to rule on disputes between governments through declaratory judgments.
Gandapur’s Push for Access
In the petition, Gandapur argued that his ability to govern effectively was being hindered by the denial of meetings with Khan, who has been held in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since August 2023. The petition named the federal government, the Punjab chief secretary, and the jail superintendent as respondents, claiming Khan’s detention was “illegal” and that blocking access to him violated Articles 9 and 10A of the Constitution — which guarantee security of person and fair trial rights.
This marks the KP chief minister’s second attempt to secure a jail meeting via the Supreme Court. On June 25, Gandapur even interrupted court proceedings to personally raise the matter with Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, arguing he needed Khan’s input on the provincial budget.
Courts Reluctant to Intervene
Reports indicate Gandapur has been repeatedly denied visitation rights for months, with earlier petitions before the Islamabad High Court also failing to yield relief. His latest filing framed the issue as a democratic concern, emphasizing that PTI represents over a quarter of Pakistan’s population, and that blocking communication with its jailed founder undermines the party’s functioning.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain the plea highlights the judiciary’s reluctance to wade into politically charged disputes surrounding Khan’s incarceration, even as PTI leadership continues to allege that his imprisonment is unlawful.
