ISLAMABAD – The federal government has started discussions on relocating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail. Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikhtiar Wali, warned that the political standoff has escalated to a stage “from which there may be no return.”
According to reports, authorities believe that PTI is attempting to destabilise the country, with alleged efforts to incite unrest under the pretext of protests.
Speaking at a press briefing, Wali stated that the government is actively reviewing proposals to transfer the “prisoner” from Adiala. “There are plans to move him, and the government is taking them seriously,” he said.
Wali also accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of having links with drug traffickers. “His performance is not zero — it is below zero,” he claimed, adding that members of Afridi’s family are allegedly involved in the narcotics trade under his protection.
The comments came a day after Khan’s sisters staged a sit-in near Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, after being denied access to meet him. The protest was dispersed by police using water cannons, and some participants clashed with authorities, resulting in the arrest of several PTI workers.
Meetings with the PTI founder have been contentious, with the last allowed meeting taking place last week when Uzma Khan was permitted to see him. Tensions around Adiala Jail have intensified as PTI protests continue, including altercations with police and jail staff, over Khan’s prolonged incarceration of more than two years.
Last month, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi himself held a 16-hour sit-in outside the jail. Previously, Khan’s sisters Aleema, Noreen, and Uzma also protested at the facility, which led to their brief detention. Since then, the government, confirmed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, has imposed a blanket ban on visits to the former prime minister.
The ban followed comments by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who described Khan as “mentally unfit” and a threat to national security.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said that both he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed willingness for dialogue, but the opposition insisted on negotiating only with Chief of Defence Staff and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Outside parliament, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the use of water cannons on party workers. “This is not the corporate world where one can simply sideline us. If they try to suppress us, none of them will succeed,” he stated, asserting that PTI came to strengthen democracy despite resistance.
