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Babar Awan. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI / EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Senior lawyer Babar Awan has warned that if “oppression” against PTI founder Imran Khan continues, his sons are likely to return to the country.
He added that they have already applied for visas to come back.
“There is concern regarding the sons that if [their] communication is allowed [with Imran Khan], they may return. I share this concern. If these injustices persist, they will certainly come back,” Awan said.
The senior lawyer was speaking to media outside the Islamabad High Court.
He clarified that the PTI founder’s sons are not involved in politics. “According to the law, they should be allowed to speak to their father at least once a week, yet months have passed without any communication,” he noted.
Awan criticized statements by two federal ministers who claimed that the PTI founder would not be allowed to meet anyone until Feb 8, saying they had no legal authority to issue such directives. “Under the law, this amounts to two offensesexceeding authority and violating the Constitution,” he said.
He explained that only the court, which sends a prisoner to jail, and the jail authorities have the legal right to regulate or permit visits. “No one else has this authority. On what grounds have these ministers blocked meetings?” he questioned.
Referring to the prison time of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, Awan said they had meetings inside jail cells, with “50 visitors” allowed at a time under NAB custody. “The only fear seems to be of the PTI founder,” Awan said.
