Adiala Inmates Seek Imran Khan-Like Medical Facilities in Court

ISLAMABAD: Three prisoners held at Adiala Jail have approached the Federal Constitutional Court seeking medical treatment and communication facilities comparable to those made available to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. The inmates have challenged an earlier Islamabad High Court ruling and are asking the constitutional court to extend similar treatment arrangements to them on the principle of equality before the law.

The petitioners have been identified as Owais Altaf, Ilyas Khan and Muhammad Ismail. Their appeals seek to overturn the Islamabad High Court decision governing their requests for treatment at private medical facilities and communication with relatives living abroad. The prisoners argue that Article 25 of the Constitution, which deals with equality of citizens, supports their claim that comparable circumstances should receive comparable treatment.

A central part of the petitions concerns medical care outside the prison. The inmates have referred to an August 18 Supreme Court order concerning Imran Khan and have requested permission to receive treatment at Shifa International Hospital. That earlier order directed authorities to transfer the PTI founder to the hospital for medical assessment and treatment and also called for the creation of a medical board to oversee his care.

The three inmates had previously taken their case to the Islamabad High Court, where they sought access to private hospitals as well as permission to contact family members abroad through WhatsApp. The high court ruled that treatment at a private medical facility could be permitted if recommended by a medical board. It also held that communication arrangements for prisoners remained subject to applicable prison regulations and security considerations.

In their latest challenge, the prisoners contend that the earlier decision does not provide them with treatment equivalent to the arrangements available in Imran Khan's case. They have asked the constitutional court to set aside the high court ruling and issue directions allowing them to obtain comparable medical services. Their petitions also renew the request for electronic communication with relatives outside Pakistan.

The case brings together questions involving prisoners' medical rights, constitutional equality and the authority of prison administrations to regulate outside treatment and communications. While the inmates rely on equal-treatment protections, the previous high court decision indicates that prison rules, medical-board recommendations and security requirements remain important factors when authorities assess such requests.

The Federal Constitutional Court has separately registered the three appeals. The cases have been assigned appeal numbers 2050/2026, 2051/2026 and 2052/2026. Registration allows the challenges to proceed through the court's judicial process, although no final determination on the prisoners' requests has yet been announced.

The outcome could provide further guidance on how courts balance constitutional equality claims with prison regulations when inmates seek medical treatment outside detention facilities or special communication arrangements. The next significant development will be the constitutional court's consideration of the appeals and whether it upholds the Islamabad High Court's approach or grants any additional relief requested by the three Adiala Jail prisoners.