Daily Times

The Punjab government has imposed restrictions prohibiting all meetings inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, the facility where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is imprisoned, sources said on Monday.

Citing security reasons for the ban which is to remain in place till October 18, the sources added that Khan will not be allowed to meet party leaders, lawyers and family during this time.

Prison sources attribute the prohibition on meetings – including those involving common prisoners – to security concerns. This measure aims to bolster the facility’s security in light of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled in neighboring Islamabad from October 15 to 16.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has sent a letter to Rawalpindi’s district administration and the jail authorities which also provisions directions for additional security measures to be taken by the latter.

The letter, issued by the Punjab Home Department, attributes the security concerns to the threat alert issued by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 6 and calls for strict security arrangements and preventive measures to deal with any untoward incident.

The SCO summit holds key significance as it will also be attended by India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar – the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade.

The federal government has called in the Pakistan Army as part of its comprehensive security plan with troops’ deployment approved under Article 245 of the Constitution from October 15 to 17.

This is not the first time that the authorities have barred meetings inside the Adiala facility previously, such a ban was imposed for two weeks in March due to security concerns.

Separately, an anti-terrorism court has remanded Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, into police custody for further physical remand, while arrest warrants were issued for Khyber-Pakhtubkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI leader Amir Mughal in the same case.

Aleema and Uzma were presented in court after completing their one-day physical remand. The court, presided over by Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, was hearing the case registered at Kohsar Police Station under terrorism charges.

Additionally, the court issued arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Amir Mughal in connection with the same terrorism case registered at Kohsar Police Station.