Shafaqna Pakistan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has expressed concern over continued restrictions on access to party founder Imran Khan, claiming the former prime minister has been denied visitors for the past 37 weeks.
Speaking to reporters near the Dahgal checkpoint outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday, Gohar said the prolonged suspension of family meetings has heightened concerns within the party and could further intensify the country’s political tensions. He added that recent talks with government representatives over family access failed due to strict conditions.
The PTI chairman said the government had proposed allowing only one of Imran Khan’s sisters to meet him, provided she signed a written undertaking not to discuss political matters. According to Gohar, the family rejected the proposal, maintaining that access for immediate family members is a legal right. He also claimed that while Bushra Bibi’s family had been allowed to meet her, similar access had not been granted to Imran Khan.
Gohar said neither Imran Khan nor Bushra Bibi had lodged formal complaints despite medical issues, adding that Imran had been shifted to hospital five times during his imprisonment, while Bushra had undergone three medical check-ups. He said PTI’s decisions, including its boycott of Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, were being taken through internal consultation due to restrictions on meeting Imran Khan.
He rejected claims of internal divisions within PTI and said the party opposed any anti-state narrative or rhetoric harmful to the Kashmir cause. He also expressed concern over the conclusion of the trial involving Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan.
Meanwhile, a PTI protest outside Adiala Jail turned chaotic after party workers clashed among themselves during a sit-in led by Imran Khan’s sisters after they were denied permission to meet him. Several workers were injured, clothes were torn during the scuffle, and police detained two supporters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan said more than 60,000 people had registered for a special “Release Force” aimed at securing Imran Khan’s release. He said the movement required organisation across all provinces and warned party officials unable to fulfil their responsibilities to step aside.
Separately, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi held a half-hour meeting at Adiala Jail after special permission was granted by prison authorities. Bushra also met her family members before meeting Imran. ater, Aleema Khan announced that PTI workers would no longer be called for sit-ins outside Adiala Jail.
She said only Imran Khan’s three sisters and designated party leaders would visit the prison under the official meeting arrangement. She said the protest marked the beginning of a street movement, with future messages to be conveyed through Imran Khan’s official X account, while district-level party leadership would be responsible for mobilising support.
Source: The News
