In a recent development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has been prohibited from holding meetings inside Adiala Jail for the next two weeks, according to reports in local media.
The decision, as per a notification issued by Punjab’s Home Department, is attributed to a security alert, leading to the restriction of all visits, meetings, and interviews within the premises of Adiala Jail. The notification also mandates the installation of barbed wires outside the jail and a swift security audit involving special branch officials, Intelligence Bureau personnel, and jail staff within a single day.
Additionally, the notification outlines stringent security measures, including no exemptions from body searches within the jail premises and a comprehensive clearance operation in and around the facility. The security clearance of government contractors working inside the jail is also a part of the directive.
Imran Khan’s Cumulative Jail Period
Imran Khan, who was transferred to Adiala Jail in September 2023 from Attock Jail, is currently serving a cumulative sentence of 31 years in various cases. Previously, the authorities had designated Mondays and Thursdays for meetings with lawyers, party leaders, and family members.
Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were handed down a 10-year sentence each in the cipher case in January for publishing contents of a secret cable. Subsequently, Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana reference for misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership.
In a separate case, the Imran Khan and wife Bushra Bibi faced another seven years in the “un-Islamic nikah” case for marrying each other before the completion of the 90-day iddat period following Bushra Bibi’s divorce. Moreover, they were indicted in the £190 million case during a trial conducted in Adiala Jail.
Khan’s party and associates have consistently demanded his release, labeling the charges as “fabricated” while expressing concerns for his safety within the prison. Recent security incidents near Adiala Jail, including the arrest of three terrorists with a facility map and explosives, have added to the growing apprehensions regarding the safety of the former premier.
