The PTI has decided to form a Committee of five members to supervise which individuals would meet with former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, arose on Sunday.
Imran was arrested in August 2023 in a series of legal cases, which according to him were “politically motivated.” Initially held in the Attock prison, he has been imprisoned in Adial prison since September 26, 2023.
The decision is produced in the midst of generalized internal divisions within the PTI on several issues, including meetings with Imran, giving party tickets, internal responsibility and proposed legislation on mines and minerals.
According to a statement published by the Secretary of Central Information of PTI, Sheikh Waqqas Akram in X, on Saturday a meeting of the Political Committee of the party was held in which several important issues were discussed, including the general situation of the country.
“It was decided unanimously at the meeting that a five -members committee would be formed [the matter of] meeting [PTI] President Imran Khan, ”Akram announced.
He added that the Committee would compile the list of names of those who are supposed to meet Imran every Tuesday and Thursday.
“As far as possible, the approval of the list for the next meeting will be taken from President Imran Khan at the meeting before,” Akram said.
Explaining the process even more, Akram said that the list of names would be sent to the prison authorities through one of the three focal people nominated by Imran: the interim president of PTI, Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and the lawyer intends Panjhuta.
The Secretary of Information stressed that this agreed with the previous orders of the Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC), as well as the directives of the founder of PTI.
“It was clarified that no individual other than the list will meet with President Imran Khan. Anyone who does would be considered to violate the discipline of the party and the established rules,” the statement said.
In the event that the Adiala administration stopped any of the people in the list of meeting with Imran, the rest of those people could meet Imran “in protest” of the action, Akram said.
In addition, he said that a request for contempt of the Court would immediately appear against prison officials in such a case.
In particular, the statement added, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government officials, where the PTI is in power, would be exempt from adhering to the committee list.
It would be “free to meet with President Imran Khan in any day and at any time,” Akram said, transmitting the decision of the political committee.
Disputes on jail meetings
Last month, the IHC had restored the meetings schedule twice a week for Imran, while restricting media interactions after these meetings.
The President of the Interim Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, who directs a Bank Hearing of three members, 26 requests related to Imran’s visiting rights and the conditions of the prison, questioned the need for the media information sessions after the meetings.
Earlier this week, the Adiala administration had prevented Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, and other family members to meet with the former guardian, which also resulted in a clash with the police. However, prison officials allowed a group of five lawyers, including lawyer Gohar Ali Khan and Senator Ali Zafar, to meet with the head of PTI.
This resulted in raja and Gohar apparently disagree on the issue of access to Imran.
Raja, who was not allowed to meet Imran either, said that while Imran’s sisters could not know him, other leaders should also refrain from meeting the former prime minister.
Gohaha then led the secretary general to the task, questioning his meeting last month when Aleem and others were denied a meeting.
On Thursday, PTI’s leadership was forbidden to meet with its founder of the party for the authorities of the Adiala prison for the second time this week, despite the IHC order.
Party leaders have previously regretted that they do not have access to Imran, while lawyers who are allowed to know them supposedly give partial messages or turning messages according to their interests.
