Member of the National Assembly Mubeen Arif Jatt on Thursday criticised the government after he and other leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were not allowed to meet the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, saying the situation had created uncertainty and concern among the public.
Speaking to the media at Dahgal Checkpoint near Adiala Jail, Jatt said that Thursday had been scheduled for a meeting with Khan and that the names of those intending to attend had already been submitted to the jail superintendent. However, he claimed that permission for the meeting was not granted and the allotted time for the meeting had now expired.
He said the prevailing situation had caused anxiety among the public and accused the government of creating confusion by making decisions “behind closed doors”. Jatt said the opposition should be allowed to meet the PTI founder so that his position on current issues could be made clear.
“The founder has always spoken about the country,” he said, adding that concerns were also being raised regarding the condition of the founder’s eye. He questioned why authorities were reluctant to allow the meeting if his health had improved.
Jatt said that inflation had left the poor, farmers and business community worried, while alleging that the authorities were focused only on politically targeting PTI rather than delivering justice.
Referring to ongoing political engagements, the lawmaker said the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been attending meetings regularly and had also met the prime minister and the corps commander. He added that the opposition continued to attend parliamentary proceedings and would also participate in any official briefings.
Jatt said his party respected the Pakistan Army but emphasised that PTI was not afraid of anyone. He added that the treatment of prisoners was the responsibility of the government and welcomed the decision to form a medical board for the PTI founder.
He also commented on internal party matters, saying that disagreements and harsh words occasionally occurred within political parties and were a normal part of politics.
Jatt said decisions regarding party chairperson would be taken in accordance with the directions of the PTI founder, adding that the party organisation managed its affairs and that the founder’s sisters were respected within the party.