KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrives to meet Imran Khan at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Photo: Reuters
RAWALPINDI:
Political tensions deepened on Thursday as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stepped up demands for access to its jailed leader Imran Khan, with the party citing health concerns, repeated denials of meetings and growing frustration over what it calls illegal solitary confinement.
PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari said no one from Khan’s family or legal team had seen him since November 4, claiming the lack of information about his condition had raised fears for his well-being. He insisted that immediate access be granted.
A PTI delegation tried again to meet Khan on Thursday but was denied entry, Bukhari said, adding that weekly meetings allowed under the prison manual were suspended without explanation. He said long stretches without contact had become more and more frequent.
The political agitation spread when Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in after heavy police deployment prevented him from reaching Adiala jail for what he said was his eighth peaceful attempt to meet Khan.
Afridi accused the authorities of defying court orders and argued that a representative of 250 million citizens should not be repeatedly blocked. He said his province was being treated like a “stepchild” and warned that growing bitterness risked damaging national cohesion.
Speaking at Gorakhpur checkpoint, Afridi said PTI had exhausted all legal and democratic channels and claimed that the government lacked authority in the matter. He said repeated voting irregularities had undermined public confidence, citing extremely low voter turnout in the last by-election.
Afridi also accused the government of economic mismanagement and referred to IMF criticism of fiscal management. He claimed that Rs 5.3 trillion in corruption remained unaddressed and argued that rising unemployment was causing Pakistani youth to leave the country in increasing numbers.
Later, he again marched towards Adiala Jail before being stopped, prompting PTI workers to join him in a prolonged roadside protest. Many supporters eventually dispersed, although Afridi remained seated with a small group for nearly two hours.
In Islamabad, the Senate session also became heated as PTI senators protested what they described as solitary confinement and restricted access for Khan. Senator Faisal Javed said neither family nor lawyers had been able to meet him for weeks.
Responding in the House, Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry insisted that Khan received meetings strictly according to the prison manual, with designated weekly slots for family and legal representatives. He said no officer would risk violating court-mandated supervision.
Chaudhry further detailed facilities given to the former premier, including chicken meals, an exercise machine, six large barracks, a television, a physiotherapist and a personal chef. He claimed that these facilities fell within the permissible limits and did not reflect any violation of the rules.
Criticizing what he called unnecessary protests outside the prison, the minister said a small group routinely staged sit-ins despite knowing meetings were being held under court supervision. He argued that recent losses in midterm elections showed declining public support for such demonstrations.
PTI’s parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar rejected Chaudhry’s remarks, saying facilities were irrelevant and demanded a fixed date for the next meeting. He refused to submit a committee report until the matter was resolved, prompting the adjournment of the Senate session until Friday.
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges. His party says long-term solitary confinement is against prison rules. Online campaigns pushed the hashtag “WHEREISIMRANKHAN”.
Speculation about Khan’s possible transfer to a more restrictive facility circulated in local media, although a senior prison official told Reuters the former prime minister was in good health and no move was planned. The official declined to be named due to protocol.
(AGENCIES WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)
