Instructions have been issued for the installation of barbed wire fences
Rawalpindi:
Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the country’s former prime minister, has been barred from holding meetings inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where he is currently serving a sentence, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
Pakistani news media cited a notification issued by the Punjab Interior Ministry restricting all forms of visits, meetings and interviews in Adiala jail, citing a security alert.
Instructions have been issued to install barbed wire fences around prisons, while special branch of police, Intelligence Bureau and prison staff have been asked to conduct a speedy security audit.
According to Geo News, the strict measures include mandatory body searches of all persons entering the prison and a comprehensive cleaning operation in and around the prison. Additionally, government contractors operating within prisons must now undergo security clearances.
PTI chief Gohar Ali Khan expressed concern over the ban on Imran Khan from holding meetings in Adiala jail and expressed concern over the security of the former prime minister.
Addressing a press conference outside the jail, Gohar said they were not allowed to meet the jailed PTI founder. He said authorities had not informed anyone about Khan’s two-week ban on meetings, Geo News reported.
He added that authorities cited “terrorism” as a reason for the move.
Gohar demanded an immediate meeting and consultation with the jailed PTI founder. He also asked for details about Khan’s health.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of Imran Khan’s imprisonment, which began in September 2023 when he was transferred from Attock Prison. Khan is currently serving a cumulative 31-year sentence in multiple cases, including a 10-year sentence in the cypher case and a subsequent 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana reference case.
Additionally, Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi face seven years in prison in the “un-Islamic Nika” case. Legal proceedings have been extended to the £190 million case, with an indictment being laid during the trial in Adiala prison.
The PTI and its colleagues have been advocating for Khan’s release from what they call a “bogus” case, citing concerns about his safety in a prison setting.
Last week, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested three terrorists and seized a map of Adiala jail, a grenade and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from their possession.
Rawalpindi police officer Khalid Hamdani said police had seized automatic weapons and ammunition from terrorists from Afghanistan.
Earlier, in November, police found a suspicious bag containing an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur, Rawalpindi, just a kilometer away from the facility.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
