ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Monday sought details of all meetings that PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have so far held in prison with party leaders, family and lawyers.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar issued the order while hearing a contempt of court petition alleging that Adiala Jail authorities had failed to implement court orders allowing such meetings.

During the hearing, Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Malik sought additional time to file a comprehensive report. Punjab Additional Advocate General Waseem Mumtaz raised objections to the maintainability of the contempt petition. He argued that no appeal could be filed against a unanimous order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja argued that the IHC's order had not been unanimous. Justice Mazhar remarked that if the order was not unanimous, the appropriate course would have been to file a review petition before the high court.

Justice Musarrat Hilali also observed that if there were objections to the IHC's order, the parties should have sought a review before that court. Raja requested the SC to obtain an up-to-date report regarding meetings with the PTI founder, alleging that his client was being kept in solitary confinement.

Referring to proceedings before the IHC, Justice Mazhar observed that an assurance had been given that no media talk would be made after prison meetings and questioned whether that assurance had been violated by speaking to the media outside the jail.

Raja told the bench that he was present during proceedings before the IHC in his personal capacity to witness the proceedings and was not representing any party.

He said he had assured the IHC in a personal capacity that there would be no media talk outside the prison. "However, this personal assurance could not be extended to bind other individuals," he said.

He stated that no one had appeared as counsel for the concerned parties during those proceedings before the IHC. Raja repeated his contention that his client was being held in solitary confinement.