Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has demanded the authorities to make necessary arrangements for his meeting with the party founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail by tomorrow (Wednesday), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference along with PTI leaders Omar Ayoub and Rauf Hasan in Islamabad on Tuesday, Gohar Ali said they had filed ten separate petitions in connection with his meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. 

However, the jail authorities refused to obey the court order and it is reported that the meeting with Imran Khan has been banned for two weeks for fear of terrorism, Barrister Gohar said adding neither the family nor the lawyers could meet today with party founder.

It is pertinent that the Punjab government on Tuesday imposed a two-week ban on all public visits, meetings and interviews at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail citing “security” threats — a move decried by PTI leaders, who deemed it a deliberate plan to stop them from meeting party founder Imran Khan, who is confined in Adiala jail.

According to sources, the Punjab Home Department said its Internal Security Wing conveyed that “there exist different types of threats to [the] security of Adiala jail as some anti-state terrorist groups supported by the enemies of Pakistan have planned to conduct targeted attacks”.

“As a security measure against the aforementioned attacks”, the department requested the prison chief to “stop the public visits/meetings/interviews within the Adiala Jail immediately for two weeks”.

The decision was taken days after the Rawalpindi Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the police foiled what they claimed was an attempt to attack the jail, arresting three terrorists.

 Besides Imran, fellow senior PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Parvez Elahi are also detained at the Adiala jail.

Addressing the media persons, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, “They have imposed a kind of blanket restriction for two weeks and the excuse made was that there is a terror threat. “We strongly condemn this blanket ban.”

 “We demand that before imposing this, his (Imran’s) family members and lawyers should have been informed,” he added.

Recalling “two assassination attempts” on Imran, Gohar said, “Caging him all of a sudden is an indication that Imran Khan’s life is in danger.”

National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan said he and other PTI lawmakers were “not being allowed to meet him (Imran) despite court orders”.

“They have imposed this ban for two weeks. We condemn this,” he added.

Ayub said, “The Punjab home secretary should be ashamed. So-called, unconstitutional and illegal chief minister Maryam Nawaz should be ashamed because this bar has been placed under her watch.”

He continued Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and newly sworn-in Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi should be ashamed as well.

Adding that the reason given was a “security threat”, the NA opposition leader said the party condemned the “ban in its strongest terms”.

Highlighting that today was his third visit to the jail but he was denied a meeting with Imran, the PTI secretary general expressed concern for the former premier’s safety.

Ayub also noted that the date for the Senate elections had been announced, which needed to be discussed with Imran but “the corrupt government is creating obstacles in it”.

 Terming it a “bogus ban”, Ayub said the law did not allow such a ban and highlighted that the jail’s superintendent was not present there.

 Stating that the jail staff was “refusing” to appear in front of the PTI leaders, Ayub asserted that the party “would call them in the National Assembly” to question them about the matter.

 Echoing his statements from yesterday about summoning the police to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the PTI secretary general said, “We will get our partners of the PAC in the Punjab Assembly to probe the expenses of Adiala Jail and its officers’ corruption.”

 Ayub said that according to a court order, if PTI members were not allowed to meet Imran, a fine of Rs25,000 was liable to be imposed on the staff by the jail authorities.

 PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said the “blanket ban on meetings” with Imran was a “criminal act, which reflects the extent of fear the unconstitutional and illegal government of Punjab and their handlers suffer from”.

 In a post on X, he said the bar would be challenged in the court of law, expressing hope that immediate relief would be provided and that the provincial government would be “instructed to desist from repeating such draconian measures”.

 “[Imran] Khan cannot be wished away by unleashing state fascism. The more the perpetrators try to do so, the more powerful Khan becomes. He rules the hearts,” he added.

Gohar Ali Khan said there were some documents related to general election which they had taken with them to meet PTI founder.

“Senate polls are going to take place therefore application has been filed that permission be given for consultation with PTI founder along with documents. We have too much expectations from the judiciary,” he added.

We didn't get a chance as per the law, Gohar remarked.

 PTI chairman continued we always come and hope we will be given justice as well. “Decisions have been taken on fast pace basis,” he urged.