PTI protests outside Adiala over Imran meeting ban

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stepped up pressure over "systematic denial" of court-ordered meetings with its incarcerated founder Imran Khan, party leaders faced a fresh crackdown outside Adiala Jail on Thursday.

Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra led the protest alongside party leaders Aftab Alam, Adnan Qadri, Pir Musavir Khan, Muhammad Israr and Liaqat Ali Khan. The group was stopped at the Dahgali checkpoint while heading to the prison and staged a sit-in at the spot before dispersing peacefully after some time.

In a post on X, Jhagra wrote: "870 unique meetings supposedly, but today was the 60th Thursday in a row when no one was allowed to meet Imran Khan," referring to a claim by Prime Minister's Spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi.

"When you learn to lie about numbers, lie shamelessly: Form 47 disease going viral from the ECP to government spokesmen!"

Speaking to reporters at the site, Jhagra said: "However, the fact is that since October 2024, as many as 60 weeks have passed, but not a single meeting of Imran Khan with his political friends has been allowed."

"Party leaders come here every week, but they are not allowed to meet [Imran]. On the other hand, during the last 60 weeks, just one or two meetings of Imran Khan have been allowed with the family in which all family members were allowed to meet the former prime minister," he added.

Jhagra said the PTI had come to Adiala Jail to expose what he described as the "hybrid, fascist system" and to protest the use of water cannons against party leaders and workers during the sit-in earlier this week.