PTI vents fury in Senate over meeting denial with 'isolated' Imran

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:

The Senate once again descended into protest on Friday as the beleaguered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vociferously demanded a meeting with its incarcerated founding chairman Imran Khan, sounding alarms over his health as the "isolated" leader remains out of touch with the party.

The party leaders disrupted proceedings with loud protests, chanting, "arrange a meeting with the founding chairman".

The uproar marked yet another day of agitation inside Parliament, with PTI senators alleging that authorities were deliberately preventing access to their leader and withholding information about his condition.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, amid simmering tensions outside the Adiala Jail, the weary party leadership, compelled time and again to fall back on sit-ins and protests that repeatedly end in crackdowns and detentions, made failed attempts to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice.

The party lamented that meeting their jailed leader had become an ordeal, with even legal counsel, family members and associates denied access to the "isolated" leader for a "two-minute, non-political" meeting about health.

Later, the issue dominated the session held at Parliament House, chaired by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, and left the upper house struggling to conduct business.

During the session, Senator Ali Zafar warned that the PTI would not allow the house to function "until the federal minister responds regarding the founding chairman".

Gilani informed the house that he had already discussed the matter with the speaker of the National Assembly and secured a time for a meeting. "We will meet and resolve this matter," Gilani assured.

The protest intensified as PTI senators thumped their desks to register opposition to the alleged denial of meetings and "a blackout of credible information" regarding their leader's well-being. The leaders cited social media reports alleging deteriorating health, which they said were causing widespread concern among party ranks and supporters.

Rejecting the claims, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry dismissed the circulating reports as "false and propaganda being spread by Indian media and social media" and reassured the house that Imran was "absolutely fine", adding that a coordinated smear campaign was underway to fuel unrest.

Chaudhry added that the government was willing to raise the matter with the interior minister to address concerns related to visitation protocols.

Aleema moves IHC

Earlier, the beleaguered PTI's campaign for access to its incarcerated founder landed in the court once again as Aleema Khan filed a contempt of court petition against the Adiala Jail authorities for allegedly defying a binding IHC order that permits meetings with Imran Khan.

The plea came against the backdrop of intensifying tensions outside Adiala Jail, where K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and a group of PTI lawmakers had staged an overnight sit-in after Afridi was denied access to Imran for the eighth consecutive time on Thursday.

The PTI leadership claims that the refusal to allow meetings has turned into a systematic policy of political punishment, despite clear judicial directions.

The petition names Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum, Saddar Beroni Station House Officer Raja Aizaz Azeem, Federal Interior Secretary Capt (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha and Punjab Home Department Secretary Noorul Amin as respondents.

According to the petition, Aleema has "remained deeply concerned about the well-being, legal rights, and humane treatment of her brother during his ongoing incarceration".

The petition hinges on a March 24 Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that restored Imran Khan's twice-weekly meeting schedule.

Aleema seeks contempt of court proceedings "on account of the wilful non-implementation of the orders passed by this honourable court, particularly with respect to the authorities' failure to allow" scheduled meetings in accordance with the directive.

The plea alleges that "due to the persistent non-cooperation" of the jail administration and "ongoing political victimisation," Imran Khan and his associates were compelled to file multiple writ petitions before the IHC to enforce basic visitation rights.

Despite "clear and unequivocal directions" from the court, jail officials have "repeatedly denied access to the legal counsel, family members, and associates" of the imprisoned PTI founder.

The petition recalls that the authorities themselves devised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on March 28, designating Tuesdays and Thursdays for meetings with family, lawyers, friends and party members.

The plea states that even after the Adiala Jail superintendent submitted an undertaking before the IHC on November 8, pledging adherence to the arrangement, the respondents continued to deny access.

Matters escalated further on November 11, when PTI leaders who arrived at the prison to meet Imran were allegedly detained. According to the plea, the superintendent "caused them to wait for several hours and thereafter unlawfully detained them in police custody," in conduct that "ridiculed the authority" of the IHC.

The petition contends that the respondents are "wilfully flouting" court orders and insists their actions constitute "serious contempt of this honourable court, for which they are liable to be dealt with under criminal proceedings." It requests the initiation of contempt charges, punishment under the law, and the enforcement of the March 24 ruling.

Attempts to meet IHC CJ rebuffed

Earlier in the day, Aleema Khan and CM Afridi went to the IHC to seek an audience with the court's top judge.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Afridi claimed they were informed that the chief justice "did not want to meet them".

Afridi criticised "a deliberate attempt to isolate Imran Khan", saying that no one had been allowed to see him or his wife, Bushra Bibi, since October 27.

"Neither his sisters are allowed to meet him, nor his [party's] leadership, nor lawyers, nor doctors," he said.

The K-P chief minister also recalled a November 19 sit-in by Imran Khan's sisters, alleging police "dragged [them] along the road by their hair, pushed down and disrespected," despite their non-political roles and intent merely "to see their brother".

He said he and six others had pleaded with jail authorities for a brief, non-political meeting, "just two or three minutes", purely to inquire about Imran Khan's well-being. "But we were still not allowed to meet," he lamented.

Afridi accused authorities of discriminatory conduct toward the PTI-led K-P government, contrasting it with privileges extended in other provinces, such as the use of Pakistan Air Force aircraft for chief ministers.

"By such actions, you are creating division. You are causing resentment and distances to grow," he warned.

He alleged that an orchestrated strategy was being deployed "to put Pakistan's strongest political party against the wall" by targeting its leader, his family, and the K-P administration. If the situation deteriorated further, Afridi cautioned, "neither side would be able to bring it under control".

Afridi announced that the PTI would not allow National Assembly and Senate sessions scheduled for Friday to proceed, saying that the legislatures were "not of any use if they could not deliver justice to their representatives".

He vowed that "business as usual will not go on after this" until Imran Khan's visitation rights are restored.

The K-P chief minister called on "all parliamentarians, from all over Pakistan" to hold a peaceful protest outside the IHC on Tuesday before marching toward Adiala Jail.

"The Constitution and the law give us the right to protest," he said, adding that if the right to meet Imran Khan was granted, "the PTI would not turn to protest".