ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed petitions filed by three Adiala Jail prisoners seeking treatment at private hospitals and permission to communicate with relatives abroad, similar to the relief granted to PTI founder Imran Khan.
Justice Muhammad Asif issued separate written judgments after reserving the verdict on August 27 on petitions filed by prisoners Owais Altaf, Muhammad Ilyas Khan and Muhammad Ismail Hussain, holding that imprisonment restricted a person’s liberty in accordance with the law but did not create a right to every facility of choice.
The petitions assumed significance after the Supreme Court (SC) on Aug 18 directed the authorities to transfer PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment. The three prisoners subsequently approached the IHC seeking similar relief.
Altaf and Ilyas had sought permission to obtain treatment at private hospitals, claiming that the required medical facilities were not available within the government hospital system. Meanwhile, Hussain sought permission to communicate with his brother living abroad through WhatsApp.
During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel argued that one of the prisoners was suffering from a serious bleeding disorder and had developed internal bleeding in the large intestine, which could become life-threatening. He said that the prisoner had remained incarcerated for around six months and had repeatedly been taken to the hospital.
