KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrives to meet Imran Khan at Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi. Photo: Reuters
RAWALPINDI:
Political tensions intensified 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 refusals of meetings and growing frustration over what it calls illegal isolation.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said no one from Khan’s family or legal team had seen him since November 4, saying the lack of information about his condition had increased fears about his well-being. He stressed the need to grant immediate access.
A PTI delegation attempted to meet Khan again on Thursday but was denied access, Bukhari said, adding that weekly meetings permitted by the prison manual were suspended without explanation. He said long periods of no contact had become increasingly common.
The political unrest spread when Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in after a heavy police deployment prevented him from reaching Adiala jail for what he said was his eighth peaceful attempt to meet Khan.
Afridi accused authorities of defying court orders, arguing that the representative of 250 million citizens should not be repeatedly obstructed. He said his province was being treated like a “stepchild” and warned that growing bitterness risked harming national cohesion.
Speaking at the Gorakhpur checkpoint, Afridi said the PTI had exhausted all legal and democratic channels and asserted that the government lacked authority in the matter. He said repeated voting irregularities had eroded public confidence, citing extremely low turnout in the last by-election.
Afridi also accused the government of economic mismanagement and referred to the IMF’s criticism of fiscal governance. He said the Rs5.3 trillion corruption remains unaddressed and rising unemployment is pushing Pakistani youth to leave the country in increasing numbers.
He then marched again to Adiala jail before being arrested, prompting PTI workers to join him in a long roadside protest. Many supporters eventually dispersed, although Afridi sat with a small group for almost two hours.
In Islamabad, the Senate session also heated up as PTI senators protested what they described as solitary confinement and restricted access for Khan. Senator Faisal Javed said neither his family nor his lawyers had been able to meet him for several weeks.
Responding in the House, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry insisted that Khan was receiving meetings strictly in accordance with the prison manual, with weekly slots designated for family and legal representatives. He said no officer would risk violating court-ordered supervision.
Chaudhry further detailed the facilities provided to the former prime minister, including chicken meals, an exercise machine, six large barracks, a television, a physiotherapist and a personal cook. He argued that such equipment fell within permissible limits and did not reflect any violation of the rules.
The minister criticized what he called unnecessary protests outside the prison, saying a small group usually held sit-ins despite knowing the meetings were taking place under court supervision. He said recent by-election defeats showed a decline in public support for such protests.
PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar rejected Chaudhry’s remarks, saying the facilities were irrelevant and demanding a firm date for the next meeting. He refused to present a committee report until the matter was resolved, leading to the adjournment of the Senate session until Friday.
Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and is serving a 14-year sentence for corruption. His party says prolonged solitary confinement violates prison rules. Online campaigns pushed the hashtag “WHEREISIMRANKHAN”.
Speculation about a possible transfer of Khan to a more restrictive facility has circulated in local media, although a senior prison official told Reuters that the ex-prime minister was in good health and no transfer was planned. The official declined to be named due to protocol.
(AGENCIES WITH NEWS DESK CONTRIBUTION)
