Imran’s Nephew Denied Adiala Jail Meeting
PTI founder Imran Khan was again denied a meeting with his family and lawyers on Tuesday at Adiala jail. The refusal came on a day set aside for such meetings by the Islamabad High Court, just one day after his lawyer was allowed in.
Advocate Awais Younas Chaudhry told Dawn that Abdullah Khan, a son of Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum, reached the jail as a family member to meet the former prime minister, but the authorities did not grant him permission. Chaudhry had submitted a list of lawyers and party leaders to the jail administration, and his own name was on that list.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also reached the prison on Tuesday but were not allowed to meet Imran. The three men were turned away on a court-approved meeting day.
Adiala jail meeting: what the court allows
The Islamabad High Court has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those meetings cover family, lawyers and other associates. Yet Dawn reports that his meetings with family and party leaders have been largely restricted in recent months, despite multiple court directives.
Monday had looked like a break in that pattern, when Barrister Salman Safdar, Imran’s lawyer, was allowed to meet him and his wife Bushra Bibi for consultations on a legal case. Tuesday reversed that signal within 24 hours. A nephew who came as family, the party chairman and the party secretary general all left without a meeting, which shows that one day of access does not mean the restriction has lifted.
The sisters remain in detention
Imran’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, used to stage sit-ins outside Adiala jail to demand his release. The three have remained detained since late September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
Their detention began as the PTI geared up for a protest march to Islamabad. Tuesday’s refusal adds a nephew to the list of family members kept out on a court-approved meeting day.
The legal front for PTI leaders also moved this week, with an anti-terrorism court granting pre-arrest bail to four PTI leaders, as covered in Feature Pakistan’s report on the ATC bail for four PTI leaders.
PTI hints at possible JUI-F support
The second strand of Tuesday’s story concerns a possible alliance. PTI has hinted that it can gain support from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in its struggle against the government. Raja told reporters that no one was calling Fazl a saviour, but the PTI would welcome everyone who stood by the party.
“It is possible that some may walk with us for one mile, some for 10 miles, and some may go with us till the end. But why should we reject them?” Raja said. He added: “We do not depend on anyone, and we do not have expectations from anyone.” He stressed the party wanted its caravan to grow, hinting at a possible alliance if Fazl offers to join.
Fazl has criticised the federal government over governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and he accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments amid his efforts to mediate between the federal and KP governments. Since mid-October, Fazl and federal ministers have also exchanged harsh remarks.
Raja’s words stop well short of announcing a pact, but they show the PTI looking beyond its own ranks while its KP government is non-functional under governor’s rule.
Gohar rejects claim Imran backed KP governor’s rule
Gohar also used Tuesday to reject a separate claim. He dismissed the notion that Imran himself wanted his party’s government in KP to be sacked, and was happy with the imposition of governor’s rule. “It is not correct,” Gohar said.
Gohar said Safdar had told him, after Monday’s meeting, that Imran was already aware of the measures but did not describe them as a positive step, and the two did not talk much about politics. Safdar brought no political message from jail, but Gohar still welcomed Monday’s meeting as a positive development.
The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on October 11, citing the provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism. The move followed weeks of tension between the Centre and the PTI, after the PTI announced a long march to Islamabad to demand its founder’s release.
Gohar also rejected reports of a forward bloc in the PTI’s KP wing, and said he hoped political tension would end. The party has reaffirmed its support for Sohail Afridi, the KP chief minister whose role is non-functional during governor’s rule.
Petitions over the detention of Afridi and others have gone to the Peshawar High Court chief justice for a larger bench, as covered in Feature Pakistan’s report on the PHC detention petitions.
Frequently asked questions
Who was denied a meeting with Imran Khan on Tuesday?
Abdullah Khan, a son of Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum, was refused permission to meet him at Adiala jail. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja were also not allowed in.
Which days has the court set for meetings?
The Islamabad High Court has allowed meetings twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for family, lawyers and other associates of Imran Khan.
Why does Tuesday’s refusal stand out?
It came one day after lawyer Salman Safdar was allowed to meet Imran and Bushra Bibi, so access granted on Monday was followed by refusals on Tuesday, a court-approved meeting day.
What did PTI say about a possible JUI-F alliance?
Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the PTI would welcome anyone who stood by the party, and hinted at a possible alliance if JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman offers to join. No pact has been announced.
What did Gohar say about governor’s rule in KP?
Gohar rejected the claim that Imran wanted the KP government sacked or was happy with governor’s rule, saying Imran did not describe the measures as a positive step during Monday’s meeting.
