The federal government has imposed a complete ban on all meetings with incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail, citing security risks and what it describes as an escalating anti-state narrative.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the decision on Friday, stating that authorities would take swift action against anyone attempting to gather near the prison. Tarar said the move was necessary to “restore the writ of the state” amid concerns that political directives were being issued from inside the facility.
Meetings Blocked Over ‘Political Instructions’
According to the minister, jail officials reported that discussions during previous visits had gone beyond permissible boundaries, with political messaging allegedly relayed from Khan to party members. Tarar said the government would not permit “any attempt to advance hostile agendas from within the jail.”
Khan, jailed since August 2023 after his removal from office the previous year, faces multiple cases involving allegations of corruption, terrorism, and attacks on state institutions. The government has repeatedly accused the former prime minister of encouraging disorder and hindering economic stability. Tarar again blamed PTI for attempts to “push Pakistan toward default” and referenced the May 9 attacks on military sites.
Source: Pakistan Today
Coalition Leaders Intensify Criticism
The minister further claimed that several PTI lawmakers privately expressed frustration with their party founder, accusing him of promoting extremist views. He also hinted that the federal government is weighing the possibility of imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a separate interview, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the recent remarks by Imran Khan’s sister on Indian media had severely damaged PTI’s political standing. He alleged that the party leadership had repeatedly tolerated statements and actions that undermined national interests — behaviour he contrasted with other political parties even during their most challenging periods.
Asif accused PTI members of aligning themselves with narratives hostile to Pakistan, asserting that both PPP and PML-N—despite facing executions, assassinations, and imprisonments of their leaders—never appealed to foreign governments or fueled anti-state sentiment.
No Dialogue With Imran Khan, Govt Says
Tarar ruled out any possibility of negotiations with PTI as long as Imran Khan remains central to its political direction. He said the party may only enter talks within parliament if it distances itself from its founder, offers an apology, and publicly acknowledges the damage done by recent statements.
The government also plans to pursue legal action against individuals or groups spreading narratives deemed threatening to the country’s security framework.
