Court Denies Imran Khan’s Request for Weekly WhatsApp Calls with Sons

A Rawalpindi court has rejected former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s plea to make weekly WhatsApp calls to his sons. The court stated that there is no legal provision for prisoners to communicate with relatives via WhatsApp.

Imran Khan, who founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, had filed a petition seeking permission to talk to his sons once a week. His sons currently live in the UK with their mother, Jemima Khan. The court had previously allowed him to speak with his children twice a month.

Earlier, Imran Khan had submitted an application to the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) after being denied a telephonic conversation with his sons from Adiala Jail. The ATC, led by Judge Malik Aijaz Asif, sought a response from the jail administration.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court reserved its decision on Imran Khan’s interim bail requests related to the May 9 incidents in 2023, including the Jinnah House case. Imran Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, argued that Khan was being targeted for political reasons and questioned how a case could be filed against him when he was in custody at the time of the crime.

The government’s lawyer countered that Imran Khan had directed his followers to target civil and military installations if he got arrested, leading to the violent events on May 9. The court has reserved its verdict on the interim bail requests.

On May 9, violent clashes erupted across Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest, with protests in various cities. Army installations, including the Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, were attacked during the protests. Imran Khan was named as the main accused in all the May 9 riots cases.