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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday reached Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were held in connection with a web of corruption charges.
The KP CM, along with other PTI lawmakers and supporters, gathered in front of the prison in protest over the growing concerns about Khan's health, fuelled by speculation triggered by claims from the former PM's sister, Aleema Khan, who was denied permission to meet Khan by the authorities. Visuals from the site show security outside Adiala Jail remained tight as the PTI supporters gathered around the area. This comes after the sit-in at the Gorakhpur checkpost near Adiala Jail, led by Khan's sister Aleema Khan and PTI supporters, was called off following negotiations with police. According to ARY News, citing official authorities, police held initial talks with Aleema Khan and PTI leaders at the protest site. They assured them that meetings with the former prime minister would be arranged. Earlier, Aleema Khan had been leading a determined sit-in outside Adiala Jail, saying she would not leave until she was allowed to meet her brother. She repeatedly stated that she and her family were prepared to remain at the checkpost for as long as necessary, according to ARY News. She alleged that Imran Khan is being kept in solitary confinement, calling the treatment "oppressive" and "illegal". Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Afridi announced that PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and the Senate will stage a peaceful protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) every Tuesday to oppose delays in cases concerning Imran Khan and his wife, Dawn reported. He also stated that the party's peaceful push for Khan's release would continue and that he himself would visit Adiala Jail every Thursday until he was allowed to meet the former prime minister. Addressing PTI workers at an event in Peshawar, Afridi said the lawmakers would remain at the IHC until 1 pm and then march to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail along with Imran Khan's sisters to stage a sit-in outside the prison, Dawn reported. He urged PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja to ensure the attendance of all party representatives, stressing that workers must hold their Members of the NAs and Members of the PAs accountable for attending the weekly protests. According to Dawn, Afridi said those who won elections using Imran Khan's name must now stand up for justice for the jailed PTI founder, who he claimed was facing mistreatment in custody. The chief minister also announced a political gathering in Peshawar on December 7. (ANI)
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