ISLAMABAD: PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was again denied a meeting with his family and lawyers on Tuesday – a prescribed day by the Islamabad High Court for meetings at the Adiala jail.
The denial comes just a day after Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, was allowed to meet him and his incarcerated wife Bushra Bibi for consultations on a legal case.
The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite multiple court directives, Imran’s meetings with his family and party leaders have been largely restricted in recent months.
Speaking to Dawn on Tuesday, Advocate Awais Younas Chaudhry said a son of Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum, Abdullah Khan, reached Adiala jail as a family member to meet the PTI founder.
However, authorities did not grant him permission, said Chaudhry, who had submitted a list of lawyers and party leaders to the Adiala jail administration for meetings with Imran.
Chaudhry, whose name was also included in the list, said that lawyers, including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, also reached the prison, but were not allowed to meet the ex-premier.
Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — used to stage frequent sit-ins outside the Adiala jail demanding the PTI founder’s release.
However, the three sisters have remained detained since late September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, as the PTI geared up for a protest march to Islamabad.
Potential JUI-F support
Meanwhile, PTI has hinted that it can get support from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the struggle against the government.
Speaking to the media, the PTI secretary general remarked that no one was terming Fazl a “saviour”, but the PTI would welcome everyone who would stand by the party and struggle against the incumbent government.
“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.
“We do not depend on anyone, and we do not have expectations from anyone,” Raja stated. However, he emphasised that the party wanted its caravan to grow, hinting towards a possible PTI–JUI-F alliance if Fazl offers to join.
Fazl has been critical of the federal government over the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments amid his efforts to mediate between the federal and KP governments.
Since mid-October, the veteran politician and key federal ministers have also made harsh remarks against each other, after Fazl accused the Centre of depriving the provinces of their rights.
Gohar refutes rumour that Imran ‘happy’ about KP governor’s rule
Separately, the PTI chairman 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,” Barrister Gohar said.
Gohar claimed that Barrister Safdar informed him, after his meeting with Imran, that the jailed ex-premier was already aware of the measures and he did not say that it was a positive step as they did not talk much about politics.
The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on Oct 11, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.
The move followed weeks of political tensions between the Centre and the PTI — as well as negotiations to bridge their differences — after the latter announced a long march to Islamabad to demand the release of its jailed founder.
Replying to a question, Gohar claimed that Barrister Safdar did not bring any political message from jail. Nevertheless, the PTI chairman welcomed Monday’s meeting with Imran as a positive development.
He hoped that the political tension would end, rejecting the reports of any forward bloc in PTI’s KP wing.
Last month, there were rumours of a group of KP MPAs endorsing Ali Amin Gandapur as the acting provincial president in the absence of Junaid Akbar.
However, PTI soon clarified that Akbar remained the party’s president for KP and named Senator Noorul Haq Qadri to take over his duties in his absence.
Similarly, after several PTI parliamentarians questioned the party’s decisions and overreliance on Sohail Afridi — the KP chief minister whose role is non-functional during governor’s rule — PTI reaffirmed its support for him.
In its latest clarification a day ago, PTI insisted there was no “factionalism” or “division” within the party, and warned of action against any member who violates party discipline or policy.
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