Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced protests outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday, as party chief Imran Khan remains unreachable to senior leaders and even his family members.
The demonstrations come amid the government’s decision to ban public gatherings and restrict visitation rights, heightening concerns about Khan’s condition.
Growing anxiety over Khan’s health — fuelled by rumours about his death — prompted authorities to impose Section 144 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The order, signed by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema, enforces Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2024, for three days from December 1 to 3, according to local media reports.
The directive, issued on December 1, cites an “imminent threat within the limits of District Rawalpindi” and says the restrictions aim to maintain “public safety, security, peace, and tranquillity.”
PTI leader Asad Qaiser told Dawn that opposition lawmakers from both houses of parliament would gather outside the IHC before marching towards Adiala Jail.
“It has been decided to hold protests because the IHC has failed to implement its order and the Adiala Jail administration is not willing to comply with court directions,” he said.
Tensions escalated last week when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister staged a sit-in outside Adiala Jail after being denied a meeting with Khan for the eighth consecutive time.
Khan’s family members have also been prevented from visiting him for several weeks.
Last week, Adiala Jail authorities said that the PTI founder had not been transferred from prison and remained “in good health.”
In a statement on Wednesday, officials from the Rawalpindi prison said: “There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail. He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention,” The News International reported.
The officials dismissed the rumours about his health as “baseless” and asserted that Imran Khan’s well-being was being ensured.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, faces multiple cases — including corruption and terrorism charges — following his ouster from power through a no-confidence vote in 2022.
PTI has been demanding clarity from the government regarding the rumours about Imran Khan and has urged authorities to allow a meeting between the party founder and his family. His sisters have not been permitted to meet him in recent weeks, prompting further questions about his condition and whereabouts.
–IANS