The Punjab government has implemented a two-week ban on all public visits, meetings, and interviews at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail that irked PTI leaders who perceived it as a deliberate attempt to impede their access to party founder Imran Khan, presently detained at the facility.
The Punjab Home Department, in a letter addressed to the Punjab prisons chief, highlighted the presence of diverse security risks to Adiala Jail, with purported plans of targeted attacks by anti-state terrorist factions allegedly supported by external adversaries. Consequently, the department urged an immediate halt to public interactions within the jail premises for a fortnight as a precautionary measure.
This directive follows recent actions by law enforcement, including the Rawalpindi Counter Terrorism Department and police, who claim to have thwarted an alleged plot to assault the jail, resulting in the arrest of three suspected terrorists.
Imran Khan, along with senior PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Parvez Elahi, remains confined within Adiala Jail.
Expressing discontent, PTI leaders lamented the sudden restriction, questioning its necessity and transparency. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI Chairman, condemned what he labeled a “blanket restriction” and demanded prior notification to Imran’s family and legal representatives before imposing such measures.
National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan echoed similar sentiments, denouncing the ban and accusing the Punjab government of obstructing legal mandates and court orders permitting access to Imran.
Ayub underscored the need for dialogue with Imran, particularly concerning forthcoming Senate elections, yet lamented government interference.
The PTI’s objections extended to procedural irregularities, with claims that jail staff evaded interaction and refusal to comply with court orders mandating fines for denying PTI members access to Imran.
PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan condemned the ban as a “criminal act” reflecting governmental apprehension and pledged legal action to contest the decision. Meanwhile, PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat decried the expulsion of media personnel from Adiala Jail premises, labeling it undemocratic.
