Pakistan: Imran barred from holding meetings in Adiala Jail for two weeks

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been prohibited for two weeks from holding meetings inside Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, where is currently serving sentence, Geo News reported on Tuesday. The Pakistan news outlet cited a notification issued by Punjab's Home Department, which citing a security alert, restricted all forms of visits, meetings, and interviews within Adiala Jail.

Instructions were issued for the installation of barbed wires around the premises while mandating a swift security audit involving officials from the special branch of the police, the Intelligence Bureau, and jail staff.

According to Geo News, stringent measures include mandatory body searches for all individuals entering the jail premises, along with a comprehensive clearance operation within and around the facility. Additionally, security clearance for government contractors operating within the jail is now mandatory.

Expressing concerns over the ban on Imran Khan's meetings at Adiala jail, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan voiced apprehensions regarding the former prime minister's safety.

Addressing a press conference outside the jail, Gohar said that they were barred from meeting the incarcerated PTI founder. He said that the authorities did not inform anybody about the two-week ban on Khan's meeting, as per Geo News. The authorities gave "terrorism" as a reason for the move, he added.

Gohar demanded immediate meetings and consultations with the incarcerated PTI founder. He also sought details about Khan's health. The development unfolds against the backdrop of Imran Khan's incarceration, which began in September 2023 when he was transferred from Attock jail. Khan is currently serving an accumulative sentence of 31 years across various cases, including a 10-year sentence for the cypher case and a subsequent 14-year term in the Toshakhana reference case.

Moreover, Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, face an additional seven-year sentence in the "un-Islamic nikah" case. The legal proceedings have extended to the £190 million case, with indictments issued during the Adiala jail trial. PTI and associates have consistently advocated for Khan's release from what they term as "fabricated" cases, citing concerns for his safety within the prison environment.

Last week, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested three terrorists and recovered a map of Adiala Jail, a hand grenade and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from their possession.

Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani said police recovered automatic weapons and ammunition from the terrorists who hailed from Afghanistan.

Before that, in November, police had found a suspicious bag laden with an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur, Rawalpindi, just one kilometre away from the facility.