Opposition links prison restrictions to political crisis; the government cites the legal and judicial framework
ISLAMABAD:
The issue of access to imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan dominated debates in both houses of Parliament on Friday, with the National Assembly witnessing threats of opposition protests as early as Monday, while the Senate saw demands for a parliamentary committee to visit political prisoners.
However, the government has strongly rejected these demands, saying that prison administration and assembly arrangements are strictly governed by existing legal and judicial frameworks.
In the National Assembly, Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai sought clarification on when the PTI founder’s family would be allowed to meet him and when he would be given treatment of their choice, warning that the opposition would launch protests from Monday if there was no response.
Lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, president of PTI, said Imran Khan had been imprisoned for almost three years and the party was being denied equal treatment despite repeated legal challenges.
He further lamented that the agreed procedures and SOPs ordered by the court were not implemented in practice.
“We went to the Supreme Court 15 times and the High Court 24 times, but we did not get justice from the courts,” he said, adding that even the arrangements finalized with the President were not respected. He supported the opposition’s demands and said the party was seeking justice for its leaders.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, opposition lawmakers led by Raja Nasir Abbas, Azam Swati and others demanded that a bipartisan parliamentary committee visit Imran Khan and other political prisoners, arguing that denial of access and continued incarceration was escalating political tensions.
The government, represented by Rana Sanaullah, rejected the proposal, saying there was no constitutional or procedural basis for such a committee and that issues related to prisons were already governed by established judicial forums and mechanisms.
The session, chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman, was marked by heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches over Imran Khan’s health, conditions of detention and restrictions on meetings at Adiala prison.
Opposition senators warned that the continued incarceration of political workers and denial of access was escalating the country’s political tensions, while the government defended the existing legal and judicial framework governing prison matters.
Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, leader of the opposition, said political victimization and denial of rights were pushing the country deeper into crisis.
“By imprisoning political workers, we are shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said, proposing that a bipartisan Senate committee comprising government and opposition lawmakers be allowed to meet Imran Khan and other political prisoners before submitting a report to the House.
“Let everyone oppose those who prevent us from visiting prisons,” he added, asserting that Parliament should not tolerate excesses against politicians.
PTI Senator Azam Swati told the House that the PTI founder had “lost sight in one eye” and urged the state to ensure basic human rights of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.
“We need to come together at this time. Inhumane treatment is never justified,” Swati said, while urging the government to “change its decisions and try to improve the situation.”
Senator Faisal Javed also criticized restrictions on access to Adiala Prison, questioning why medical treatment, including treatment abroad, was earlier arranged for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but not for Imran Khan.
He demanded that PTI leaders and their family members be allowed to meet the incarcerated party founder.
Responding to opposition criticism, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the government had always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, but progress had been hampered by certain political attitudes.
He claimed that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were receiving the best medical treatment available in the country and said the jail meetings were regulated through a mechanism approved by a larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
According to Rana Sanaullah, this arrangement allows for meetings twice a week, with separate times for lawyers and family members. He said PTI leaders, including general secretary Salman Akram Raja, had assured the court that the meetings would not be used for political messages or media campaigns.
However, he alleged that this agreement was repeatedly violated during press conferences and international campaigns targeting state institutions.
“Campaigns targeting state institutions and their leaders have been carried out abroad. Evidence of these activities can be presented whenever necessary,” he said.
The advisor further said that a five-member medical council, constituted on the recommendation of PTI’s own doctors, had approved the treatment provided to the former prime minister.
Rejecting the opposition’s proposal to establish a parliamentary committee, Rana Sanaullah said there was no provision in the Senate or National Assembly rules authorizing such interference in executive matters related to prison administration. He added that there were already legal and judicial forums for complaints about detention conditions or access to prisons.
Referring to the May 9 unrest, he said attacks on state institutions could not be ignored and those responsible would face consequences.
Noting that a successful “action” is called a revolution, he said a failed attempt to provoke a revolution amounted to treason and carried consequences. He added that repeated attempts to march on Islamabad and confront the state had further tensed the political atmosphere.
The Senate session was then adjourned until Monday evening.
