Adiala Standoff: KP CM blocked from meeting Imran Khan amid political tensions

ISLAMABAD: A major political standoff unfolded on Tuesday after Islamabad police stopped Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and senior PTI leaders from reaching Adiala Jail to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, intensifying tensions between the federal government and the opposition party.

Imran Khan, who has remained imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since August 2023, is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Although the Islamabad High Court had earlier permitted him to meet family members, lawyers and associates twice a week, PTI leaders allege that access to the former prime minister has repeatedly been restricted in recent months.

The K-P chief minister departed for Adiala Jail accompanied by Imran Khan’s sisters, party leaders and workers. However, police blocked the convoy at Chungi No. 26 in Islamabad, preventing it from proceeding towards Rawalpindi despite prolonged negotiations and heated exchanges.

At the same time, several senior PTI leaders, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Salman Akram Raja and the daughters of Bushra Bibi, also reached Adiala Jail but were reportedly denied permission to meet the PTI founder before the official 4pm cut-off time for visitors.

The situation triggered severe traffic congestion on the Islamabad-Rawalpindi route, with commuters — particularly those travelling to the airport — facing hours-long delays. In several areas, motorists were forced to drive on the wrong side of the road to bypass roadblocks.

Speaking to reporters at the site, Afridi strongly criticised the authorities, saying the blocking of an elected chief minister and cabinet members from peacefully meeting a political leader amounted to discrimination against the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

He accused the federal government of repeatedly targeting the province through restrictions on wheat movement, gas supply and electricity, adding that the latest move reflected political victimisation rather than law enforcement.

“What message are they trying to send? Do they want to isolate Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from Pakistan?” Afridi asked. “Stopping the chief executive of a province and his cabinet on the road is not just an insult to us, but to the 46 million people of the province.”

The chief minister also expressed concern over Imran Khan’s health, saying the former premier should be allowed treatment from personal doctors in the presence of family members at a hospital of his choice. He contrasted the current treatment of Imran Khan with the relief granted to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his tenure.

Afridi later reiterated his concerns in a statement posted on X, warning that any harm caused to Imran Khan due to alleged negligence or denial of medical treatment would be the responsibility of the federal government, Punjab authorities and Adiala Jail administration.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan also condemned the authorities’ actions, saying PTI had exhausted democratic and legal avenues and now reserved the constitutional right to peaceful protest against what she called continued political victimisation.

The latest confrontation comes amid growing tensions between the ruling coalition and PTI over Imran Khan’s imprisonment, his medical treatment and restrictions on meetings with family and party leaders. PTI leaders have repeatedly demanded that the former prime minister be shifted to a private hospital for treatment, while the government maintains that all legal and medical protocols are being followed.