In Islamabad, a Special Court, which operates under the Official Secrets Act, has issued an order directing the superintendent of Adiala Jail to permit the PTI chairman to have a phone conversation with his sons. The proceedings were presided over by Special Court Judge Abul Hasnaat Zulqarnain, who was considering the PTI chairman's request to allow him to speak with his sons over the phone.
During the proceedings, Judge Abul Hasnaat noted that, based on Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), the accused was not generally allowed to engage in phone conversations. However, he indicated that the court would take into account the jail manual in its deliberations.
The defense counsel, Sheraz Ranjha, argued that, according to the Official Secrets Act, the accused should be permitted to communicate with his family via phone. He also mentioned that under the Prisoners Rules, the accused should have the opportunity to meet his family while in jail. Furthermore, Ranjha pointed out that other accused individuals were allowed to utilize phone communication facilities.
In response to this, the judge requested the defense counsel to provide evidence of permission for an accused person to communicate with family members abroad.
In reply, Ranjha explained that the Jail Manual did not typically allow for such communication, but the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) had issued a ruling in favor of this. He submitted the FSC ruling to the court.
Ultimately, Judge Zulqarnain ruled in favor of allowing the PTI chairman to talk to his sons on the phone.