Meeting with Imran remains out of reach for PTI; jailed party leaders call on govt to reconsider its approach

ISLAMABAD: A meeting with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan remained out of reach for the party on Thursday, while jailed party leaders called on the government to reconsider its approach toward the former premier.

On Wednesday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had issued a list of six people for a meeting with Imran. The list had included MNAs Shahid Khattak, Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Javed Waraich, Adil Bazai, Sohail Sultan, and also Major (Retd) Fayyaz Ahmed. The list was sent to the jail authorities as per the direction of the apex court.

However, on Thursday, Qureshi told Dawn that when he, alongside other PTI leaders, reached Adiala jail, they were not allowed to meet Imran.

“We had arrived at 1:30pm and informed the jail administration that, as per the directions of the court, we should be allowed to meet Khan sahib. They told us that names have been forwarded for approval, and suggested we wait,” he said.

Qureshi said that they waited till 3pm, which was the cut-off time for jail meetings during Ramazan. He added that they were told that jail authorities had not been informed about the approval for the meeting.

“We had no option but to leave. Unfortunately, the party leaders and family members have not been allowed to meet Imran for many months,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, five senior PTI leaders incarcerated at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail demanded that the government reconsider its approach towards the party and Imran.

The PTI leaders — Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema — made the remarks in a statement issued by the PTI Central Media Department.

“National interest demands that the government should revisit its approach towards PTI and Imran Khan,” they said. They demanded that Qureshi, the party’s vice charman, should be granted access to Imran to “share our political perspective”.

They also stated that the PTI and the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan, could not “abdicate its role of a responsible opposition”.

They also stated that a prolonged regional conflict, an apparent reference to the conflict in the Middle East, could have disastrous consequences for Pakistan’s economic security.

They further said that terrorism and activities by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan against Pakistan could not be tolerated, adding that the people of Afghanistan must be engaged and not alienated.