Rawalpindi [Pakistan], December 2 (ANI): Pakistani authorities at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday permitted PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khanum to meet the incarcerated former prime minister, Dawn reported. Uzma entered the prison while several PTI supporters accompanying her waited outside the facility.
The meeting took place on a day when PTI held demonstrations outside the Islamabad High Court and Adiala Jail over restrictions on Khan’s visitation rights. The party has maintained that members of Imran’s family and senior leaders had been unable to meet him for several weeks.
According to Dawn, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi earlier said that no one had been allowed to meet Imran or his wife, Bushra Bibi, since October 27.
Ahead of the protests, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was imposed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, barring gatherings of four or more people for a limited period.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry warned the media that “whether they come to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) or the Adiala jail, action under Section 144 would be carried out without any discrimination”. He urged PTI-backed lawmakers to “abide by the law”.
Chaudhry said the restriction had been enforced based on intelligence inputs, adding that “terrorists look for instances [which they can use] to spread fear and make headlines”.
He also said terrorists used social media applications with VPNs, prompting the interior ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to work on measures to regulate VPN use. Dawn noted that he stressed the government did not intend to harm IT-related businesses but insisted the step was necessary to prevent misuse of digital platforms.
The minister also recalled the Peshawar High Court ruling that barred the use of state resources for political activity. Referring to KP’s chief minister, he said, “We hope that the KP chief minister, who repeatedly comes to Islamabad and Pindi, will not use state resources for his political activities.”
He reiterated that “KP police will [only] be used in KP for security” and warned that any use of state officials outside the province without proper intimation would lead to criminal cases in line with the PHC’s order.
Chaudhry said Section 144 had been enforced to protect lives, referring to “an incident” in Islamabad and to continuing threats. He remarked that PTI had held multiple protests in Rawalpindi demanding access to Imran and said the administration was monitoring the situation to prevent disruption.
“To ensure that such gatherings of protests do not cause any loss,” he added, recalling the violence of May 9, 2023. Dawn reported him as saying that the KP chief minister had no authority to demand a meeting with the PTI founder.
Reiterating that the restrictions were linked to recent terror incidents, he said authorities did not want any situation that could “facilitate” militants. “We have made foolproof security arrangements, and God willing, no such incident will take place,” he added, while emphasising cooperation from all stakeholders.
He again warned that Section 144 would be “strictly imposed.”
When asked whether Imran might be shifted to a prison in Islamabad, Chaudhry said it was “too early to say anything.” He stated that the new prison being built in the capital required completion and staff training, adding that it was intended to house inmates from the federal territory who were otherwise kept in other provinces.
He also noted that if the necessary paperwork was provided, “Imran’s sons would be issued visas in the next 24 hours.”
Dawn reported that security in Rawalpindi had been strengthened, with police saying around 3,000 personnel had been deployed. Section 144 is in place in the city for three days, and police warned that any violation would be dealt with strictly.
Security pickets were set up on routes leading to Adiala Jail, while movement around Islamabad’s Red Zone remained restricted.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser announced that opposition lawmakers would protest outside the IHC before marching to the prison, citing non-implementation of the court’s orders. Dawn added that last week, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged a sit-in outside the jail after being denied a meeting with Imran for the eighth time.
Imran’s sisters have also protested multiple times outside the Rawalpindi prison after being denied access. The PTI earlier alleged that police had manhandled and “violently detained” Imran’s sisters during a November 19 protest.
Reports about the former prime minister’s health had circulated, but both the government and PTI leaders stated he was in good health. (ANI)