- MNA Jamal Khan says it could’ve been first step towards easing tense political environment, but govt lost that chance
- PTI Secretary General had forwarded names of six party leaders for meeting to jail superintendent
RAWALPINDI: PTI leaders were once again denied a meeting with party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, sparking fresh criticism of restrictions on the incarcerated leader and renewed calls for government flexibility.
The party lamented that the government had missed an opportunity to demonstrate goodwill and ease political tensions at the start of the new year.
A court order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24 mandates that meetings with Imran be permitted twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the PTI maintains that the order is not being honoured. The party has staged sit-ins near Adiala Jail to demand meetings with its founding chairman, with one earlier this week dispersed using water cannons.
“I was hoping that, considering the Prime Minister’s offer of talks and the first day of the new year, the government would allow us to meet PTI’s founding chairman,” said Muhammad Jamal Khan, a member of the National Assembly (MNA), speaking to the media. “It could have been the first step towards national harmony and easing the tense political environment, but the government lost that chance.”
On Wednesday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja wrote to the jail superintendent, forwarding the names of six party leaders for the meeting: Dr Amjad Ali, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Usman Bhattani, Iqbal Khattak, Shoaib Ameer Awan, and Muhammad Jamal Khan.
Jamal said he arrived at the Adiala jail gate at 2:30 pm and informed officials that his name had been forwarded for the meeting. “The staff suggested I wait at the check post alongside media personnel. They kept telling me approval had not been received, and I waited until 4:40 pm with no success,” he added.
Asked why only two leaders arrived despite six names being submitted, Jamal explained that he and provincial assembly member Iqbal Khattak had come together, while he could not confirm the presence of the others. He criticized the government for showing “weakness” by denying the meeting, stating that allowing it could have signalled seriousness about negotiations and sent a positive message to the nation.
Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case and faces additional trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests. PTI has repeatedly raised concerns about his health. On December 1, Imran’s son, Kasim Khan, expressed fears that authorities might be concealing “something irreversible.” However, on December 2, Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum confirmed that her brother was “perfectly fine” after a 30-minute visit, though she noted he was “very angry” over the mental strain of his confinement.
Earlier this month, a United Nations special rapporteur expressed concern that Imran’s detention conditions could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment, urging Pakistan to comply with international norms. The PTI called the report a revelation of “degrading treatment” of the former prime minister, amounting to “a blatant violation of international law and fundamental human rights.”
Sit-ins staged by PTI leaders and Imran’s sisters were again dispersed with water cannons late Tuesday night, highlighting ongoing tensions around the former premier’s incarceration.
