A day after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that the jail authorities were denying a meeting with the legal team, it has again come up with new claims saying Khan was being kept in a ‘9x11 feet cell’ and was given "B-class facitilies'.
Earlier on Saturday, Khan was arrested shortly after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison. In a dramatic turn of events, Lahore Police arrested him even though the court had ordered Islamabad Police to put him behind bars.
Khan shited in the "wrong" jail
The court order issued for the inspector general of Police (IGP) Islamabad said: "This is to authorise and require you the IG Islamabad Police to arrest the convict Imran Khan Niazi son of Ikramullah Khan and to send him to Central Prison Adyala, Rawalpindi, for serving out the stated sentences."
Not only this, Pakistan police made another mistake by shifting the former Prime Minister to the wrong jail. According to the court orders, he should have been shifted to Adiala jail but instead, he was transferred to Attock jail in Punjab.
Reacting to the development, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded Khan's immediate release and claimed there were "threats" to his life. In a video statement, Mr Qureshi claimed that the Attock Jail lacked B-Class facilities.
What is a B-class jail facility?
According to Pakistan's English daily, under the B-Class, the Khan is entitled to books, newspapers of choice, a table, a chair, a 21-inch television, a mattress, clothing and jail food, in addition to a bathroom facility in the barrack he has been kept in. He would not be allowed to get food from outside. Similarly, he has been allowed to get a lamp in case of suspension of electricity supply, besides sanitary and washing facilities.
Although Qureshi claimed no medical tests were conducted at the time of arrest and added the jail has no designated medical officials or doctors to handle the emergency situation, the jail authorities denied his claims and added Khan has been granted facilities provided under the Pakistan Prisons Rules 1978 to ‘a convicted prisoner’.
Also, the jail officials rejected PTI's claims and added Khan was in good health when he was brought to the jail, adding that the ex-PM can meet his family and lawyer once a week.
