Punjab Government Bars KP CM From Visiting Imran Khan

The Punjab government, on Tuesday, prevented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from visiting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail. In a letter addressed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Punjab cited security threats as the reason for prohibiting meetings with Khan. The letter, directed to the deputy secretary judicial in Peshawar, urged Gandapur to cancel his visit to Adiala Jail due to heightened security concerns. Security measures have been intensified in Attock, Adiala, DG Khan, and Mianwali jails, as stated in the communication.

The Inspector General of Punjab Prisons announced a two-week ban on all types of prisoner meetings across jails, with police and Rangers conducting clearance operations within the facilities.

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

This decision by the Punjab government follows recent actions by the Rawalpindi Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police, who claimed to have thwarted a jail attack, arresting three terrorists. Among the inmates in Adiala Jail are Imran Khan and his party’s senior leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Parvez Elahi.

However, Punjab authorities clarified that the restrictions at Adiala Jail were not aimed at impeding PTI leaders’ access to Imran Khan. Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari emphasized that the measures were taken in response to a credible security threat, which is currently under investigation.