ISLAMABAD: Three Adiala jail inmates approached the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) dismissal of their pleas seeking treatment at private hospitals, similar to the relief granted to incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.
“We are seeking interpretation of Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, which governs the manner and mode of the transfer of a prisoner to the hospital,” Advocate Akhtar Cheema told Dawn.
He added that the relief had become “necessary” after the Aug 18 Supreme Court order regarding Imran, which had directed the government to shift the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility. However, the government had taken him to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Subsequently, three Adiala inmates had approached the IHC seeking relief similar to that granted to Imran. On Aug 31, the IHC had dismissed the petitions.
On Tuesday, Advocate Cheema appeared on behalf of one of the prisoners, Muhammad Ilyas Khan. He said the other inmates, namely Mohammad Ismail Hussain and Owais Altaf, were being represented by Advocates Irfan Nasir Cheema and Syed Jaffer Baqir, respectively.
