PTI leaders yet again denied meeting with Imran

ISLAMABAD: PTI leaders on Thursday were yet again denied a meeting with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, who is imprisoned in Adiala jail. Speaking to Dawn, Advocate Niazullah Niazi said that as per directions of the court, PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja had shared a list of six persons with jail authorities for a meeting Imran. “We reached the jail and waited for approval but we did not receive any message from the jail administration that the meeting would be allowed,” he lamented. He said that during Ramazan, jail meetings were allowed till 3pm. “We waited there till 3:15pm and then decided to leave,” he said. “We also asked officials about the medical team, which visited Adiala jail on Wednesday and examined Imran, and demanded a medical report but we were informed that the report will be handed over to the Islamabad Chief Commissioner, who would then submit it to the court. We were told that we should approach the court to get the medical report,” Niazi said. Niazi said that he was the spokesperson for both Imran and Bushra Bibi but had not been allowed to meet the former premier since April 2, 2025. “We demand that at least family members and personal physicians be allowed to meet Imran so that we can get a clear picture regarding his health,” he said. Responding to a question, Niazi said that 70 to 80 days had passed since Imran’s family or party leaders had been allowed to meet the former premier. “The only person who met Imran was a friend of the court,” he said, referring to lawyer Salman Safdar. “We have severe concerns about Imran’s health but it is unfortunate that we are not being allowed to meet him,” he said. Major (R) Latasub Satti, whose name was also included in the list of people for meeting Imran, said that he and other persons reached Adiala Jail at 12:15pm. “However, we were stopped by law enforcement officials. We contacted jail representatives and informed them that our names were on the list but they told us that we should wait for approval. We waited till after 3pm but could not get any message from the jail administration regarding approval for the meeting,” he said. Satti said that it was unfortunate that the only person who could play a role in addressing the Middle East crisis was in jail. “Imran is the only leader who can unite the Muslim ummah and stop the war. He should be immediately released and allowed to play a role in addressing the issues of the Muslim world,” he suggested. TTAP leaders criticise govt for making Imran’s health ‘controversial’ Separately, the leaders of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) alleged that the government was making Imran’s health “controversial”. The leaders, including former KP finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai and Khalid Chaudhry, made the remarks at a press conference in Islamabad. During the media talk, Jhagra questioned why the government was making Imran’s health controversial. “The only viable solution is to immediately shift the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital and ensure access to his family members and personal physicians,” Jhagra said. He highlighted that former premier Nawaz Sharif was provided medical treatment while he was in jail and the masses were informed about it. He urged the government to ensure similar transparency in Imran’s case. Jhagra stated that since August 2025, discussions had been ongoing regarding visas for the PTI founder’s sons, alleging that the government had deliberately denied their visas. He further criticised the government’s economic performance, saying, “The administration has faced continuous failure over the past four years with zero reforms.” He noted that the consequences of the lack of reforms were evident in the form of rising fuel prices. Referring to the Middle East crisis, he said Pakistan had already suffered its economic fallout. He also accused the government of increasing petrol prices prematurely and benefiting companies by Rs20 billion. “Why has Pakistan failed to maintain strategic reserves like countries such as Russia and China?” he questioned. He said that government policies had put the national economy at risk. He also criticised government spending, citing the Punjab government’s aircraft and the Senate Chairman’s expensive vehicle as examples that contradicted the claims of austerity. “Exports have declined by 33 per cent this year, the dollar rate has been artificially controlled, and investor confidence — both domestic and foreign — has shattered,” Jhagra said. Yousafzai said that the opposition had offered cooperation to the government on the Afghanistan issue and had called for a joint session of the Parliament, which was not convened. He welcomed the pause in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban but stressed that it should be made permanent rather than temporary. He reiterated that China was a trusted friend of Pakistan and that the opposition alliance supported its constructive role in regional affairs, particularly in facilitating peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He emphasised the need to cooperate with China’s positive efforts. He said that millions had lost jobs due to ongoing regional and global instability, asking when state policies would be corrected to address these challenges. In his remarks, he urged learning from the Iranian nation, stating that they stood firm under pressure. He noted that questions were being raised within the US Congress regarding the war against Iran, and claimed that a strong Israeli lobby in the US played a role in the attack on Iran. Yousafzai further criticised the lack of transparency regarding Pakistan’s role in the situation, stating that neither the public nor Parliament had been informed. He also rejected the medical board formed to evaluate Imran’s health.