Pak court allows Imran Khan to speak with the sons on phone
Islamabad (PTI): A special court in Pakistan on Wednesday granted permission to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to have a phone conversation with his two sons, according to a media report.
In a one-page written order, special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail, where Khan is currently lodged, to ensure that Khan speaks to his sons, Sulaiman Khan and Qasim Khan, over the phone, Geo News reported.
The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, who has been at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi in the cipher case, was arrested in August after a case was filed against him for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act by disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country's embassy in Washington in March last year.
The court last week declared that Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would be indicted during the next hearing on October 17, which would mark the official start of the trial. However, on Tuesday, the Special Court had adjourned till October 23 the indictment of Khan and his close aide Qureshi.
The deposed prime minister had submitted a plea to the special court on September 11, seeking contempt of court against Attock jail superintendent who refused to allow him to speak with his sons, despite court orders issued previously in this regard, GeoTV said.
"(Khan) was earlier granted permission by the special court, formed to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act, to speak to his sons. However, the PTI chief in the petition sought contempt of court proceedings against the Attock jail superintendent for violating the court's order," the media report said.
Ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022, Khan was incarcerated on August 5 this year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term. Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then, he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand.
Giving the chronology of events, Geo News described how, at the time of filing the plea, Khan was in judicial custody at the Attock jail. He was there till September 13 in the cipher case since his arrest on August 5 after a trial convicted him in the Toshakhana case.
"Khan was earlier granted permission by the special court, formed to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act, to speak to his sons. However, the PTI chief in the petition sought contempt of court proceedings against the Attock jail superintendent for violating the court's order," the report said.
The Attock jail authorities, in their reply to the contempt of court petition, argued that jail rules do not allow the accused facing charges under the Official Secrets Act to speak over the phone citing the Prisoners Act, 1978.
The SOPs regarding telephone conversations were presented to the court. Khan's lawyer quoted the Federal Shariat Court's decision in this regard and submitted a copy of the Federal Shariat Court's relevant verdict before the judge.
The judge then went on to authorise permission for the PTI chairman to speak to his sons over a phone call, Geo News added.
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'NATO air defences intercept third ballistic missile over Turkiye since start of Iran war'
Istanbul (AP): NATO defences on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran over Turkiye, the Defense Ministry said.
It marked the third such incident since the start of the Iran war.
Turkiyes Defence Ministry said the missile was destroyed by NATO air defences deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. Residents in the southern city of Adana reported hearing a loud explosion and sirens sounding at Incirlik Air Base, which is used by US forces, in the early hours of Friday.
No casualties were reported.
This week, NATO deployed an additional Patriot air defense system in the southeastern province of Malatya, where the Kurecik radar station is based.
The Defence Ministry stressed Thursday that Incirlik is a Turkish base – and that the foreign troop presence doesn't alter the base's status – in an apparent response to warnings from Tehran to regional countries not to host US military bases.
