Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Monday that the ban on meetings with incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan will remain in force until February 8, 2026.
Speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk, the federal minister said the restriction was imposed due to violations of prison rules. Earlier this month, the federal government enforced a blanket ban on meetings with the jailed PTI founder, citing repeated breaches of jail regulations by Khan’s sisters.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had stated that prison rules do not allow political discussions with inmates, and the decision was taken after meetings with Imran Khan were allegedly used for political purposes.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and is facing multiple cases, including charges related to corruption and terrorism, following his removal from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022.
During the programme, PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar said neither international law nor Pakistan’s Constitution allows any individual to be kept in solitary confinement. He argued that restrictions on meetings violated fundamental legal principles.
The issue has also drawn international attention after Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, raised concerns over their father’s prison conditions in a recent interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan. They claimed court-mandated communication was not being consistently allowed and alleged that jail authorities were attempting to isolate Khan completely.
Responding to another question, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the federal government had no intention of replacing PTI-backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in the coming weeks, adding that the Centre wanted him to continue his work.
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Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, rejected the impression that no political space was left for the PTI. He said PTI leaders were unwilling to adopt any constructive path and accused the party of pursuing confrontation and unrest.
Referring to the May 9 violence cases, Rana Sanaullah questioned delays in judicial decisions, asking when verdicts would be announced if not in 2025. He made the remarks in the context of the Toshakhana-2 case, in which a special court sentenced Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison.
He warned that any attempt to spread chaos, challenge the writ of the state or march on Islamabad would be dealt with strictly under the law, adding that no group would be allowed to occupy the federal capital.
