Web Desk (MNN); Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Monday that meetings with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan will stay suspended until February 8.
Speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk, the minister confirmed that no meetings with Imran Khan would be allowed till the specified date. His remarks came in response to a question by the show’s host regarding the continuation of the ban on prison visits.
The suspension of court-mandated meetings has triggered concerns from Imran Khan’s family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf over the conditions of his confinement. A United Nations special rapporteur has also cautioned that Imran Khan is being held in circumstances that may amount to inhuman or degrading treatment.
Chaudhry argued that a prison cannot be treated as the headquarters of a political party and accused the PTI of spreading hostility against state institutions and their leadership.
The PML-N leader said that in the past, PTI leaders were allowed to meet their founder regularly at Adiala Jail and the government had no objections. However, he claimed these meetings later turned into political briefings outside the prison, with narratives allegedly amplified by Indian media.
Responding to the minister’s remarks, PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar said that Pakistan’s Constitution equates solitary confinement with torture, adding that the suspension of meetings violates human rights as well as international and domestic laws.
He said PTI leaders and parliamentarians had been instructed to gather peacefully outside Adiala Jail to show solidarity with Imran Khan, but the government responded with force, including the use of water cannons.
Last week, water cannons were used against Imran Khan’s sisters, party leaders and workers after they staged sit-ins outside the jail to protest the denial of meetings with the former prime minister.
Ali Zafar said the party would continue its efforts until meetings with Imran Khan are restored, adding that any sincere dialogue process aimed at resolving the political deadlock must include access to the PTI founder.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said prison meetings with Imran Khan were suspended after authorities found they were being used to plan and coordinate a large protest in Islamabad.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Saath, Sanaullah said discussions during these meetings focused on organising a major protest on November 26, 2025, to mark the anniversary of PTI’s November 26, 2024, march on Islamabad.
He recalled that on November 26, 2024, violent clashes erupted between security forces and PTI supporters near D-Chowk, prompting a late-night crackdown that forced PTI leadership to retreat and led to the suspension of the protest movement.
Sanaullah said preparations, messaging and strategic planning for future protests were being discussed in jail meetings, which led authorities to stop them.
He added that the suspension of meetings had fuelled rumours regarding Imran Khan’s health, but insisted that the former premier has access to all necessary facilities in prison.
The adviser also claimed that statements made by Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan were guided by the PTI founder himself, alleging he had instructed her on what to say during earlier meetings.
Responding to a question about a nationwide strike call by the TTAP on February 8, Sanaullah said there would be no wheel-jam strike anywhere in the country.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had attempted negotiations four times, questioning whether the opposition was genuinely interested in resolving the crisis through dialogue.
Commenting on KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s call for a march on Islamabad, Sanaullah questioned the legal basis of such a move and criticised statements about storming the capital.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case. He also faces trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests.
While PTI has repeatedly raised concerns over his health and that of his wife, Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khanum said after meeting him earlier this month that he was physically fine but under mental stress.
A United Nations special rapporteur last week expressed serious concern over Imran Khan’s detention conditions, urging Pakistan to adhere to international human rights standards. PTI said the report highlighted degrading treatment and a clear violation of international law and fundamental rights.
