Imran Khan Appoints 3 Focal Persons For Adiala Meetings

RAWALPINDI – Imran Khan, the founder of the beleaguered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has designated three focal persons on Saturday following an agreement with Adiala jail authorities on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for meetings with the incarcerated former prime minister within the high-security prison.

The agreement, endorsed by the former Prime Minister and the Adiala Jail superintendent, names PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, and Barrister Umair Niazi as his focal persons.

Read more: Adiala Jail Restricts Meetings, Media Due To Terror Threat

As per the agreed-upon SOPs, each focal person is tasked with nominating two individuals weekly for meetings with the detained party founder. These meetings are slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays, enabling the founder to meet with family members and legal representatives.

This resolution stems from a mutual understanding, adhering to a court order sanctioning meetings within the jail premises.

The meetings are restricted to 30 to 45 minutes, with a maximum of six visitors allowed per session. Furthermore, the agreement discourages the filing of individual petitions in court, possibly referencing PTI’s past legal initiatives concerning meeting arrangements for the detained party founder.

Earlier this month, the Punjab government barred prisoners, including the PTI founder detained since September 26, 2023, from holding meetings inside the jail due to security apprehensions. Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari clarified that these measures weren’t aimed at hindering Khan’s meetings but were in response to a credible security threat.

The security concerns escalated following the arrest of three terrorists by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), possessing a map of Adiala Jail, a hand grenade, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Investigations disclosed the terrorists’ Afghan origins, with ongoing probes into their activities.

Previously, on November 7, 2023, police discovered a suspicious bag containing an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur, Rawalpindi, merely a kilometer away from Adiala Jail.