Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi met him at Adiala Jail on Tuesday after a gap of around nine months, following a Pakistani Supreme Court order allowing weekly meetings between the former prime minister and his family, The Express Tribune reported.
According to the report, the meeting lasted around 15 minutes. Noreen briefed Imran on the Supreme Court’s order concerning his transfer to Islamabad’s Shifa Hospital, enquired about his health and discussed some ongoing legal matters with him.
After the meeting, Noreen confirmed that she had met Imran but did not speak to the media, in line with an assurance given to the court, the report said. She later left Adiala Jail along with her sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan.
Imran also met his wife, Bushra Bibi, with their meeting lasting around 30-35 minutes, The Express Tribune reported. Earlier, Bushra had met her daughter, Mubashra Sheikh, and sister-in-law Mehrunnisa.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Aleema expressed happiness over the Supreme Court’s order.
“Words cannot describe how happy I am about the meeting. I cannot even imagine where I would have got sweets from. I have appeared before the ATC Rawalpindi from the Supreme Court,” she said.
Asked whether she had received any indication that circumstances were changing, Aleema said, “Where are we supposed to get any indication from? Do you mean this meeting? Yes, something has happened together, but we are still uncertain.”
According to The Express Tribune, Noreen was among Imran’s three sisters who reached the Dahgal checkpoint on the road leading to Adiala Jail following the court’s order. Police initially stopped Aleema, Uzma and Noreen at the checkpoint but later allowed only Noreen to proceed towards the prison.
The development came after a three-member Pakistani Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed directed the government earlier in the day to facilitate weekly meetings between Imran and his family amid concerns over his health.
The court was hearing petitions concerning the PTI founder’s access to his sisters and personal physicians, as well as his medical condition.
The order followed a medical board report and a report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent to the Supreme Court on Monday. The reports recommended more frequent meetings between Imran and his immediate family and spouse to help manage his blood pressure and anxiety, highlighting concerns over his health.
The Supreme Court allowed the meetings on the condition that PTI representatives refrain from political activity or media engagement after meeting Imran, a condition the party said it would follow. Justice Waheed stressed that access to family could not be treated as a favour, describing the meetings as a fundamental right rather than a concession.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Afridi said, “The Supreme Court’s just decision to immediately transfer Imran Khan to the hospital for a check-up and treatment in the presence of his family and personal doctors is commendable. It is hoped that its implementation will begin at the earliest.”
Afridi said official reports on Imran’s health condition showed how it had deteriorated in jail. He said the decision to transfer Khan to a hospital should have been taken in February, when the PTI had been continuously demanding his hospital transfer, check-up and treatment under the supervision of his personal physicians.
He also said PTI would not politicise Imran’s health in line with the court’s decision and expressed hope that the judiciary would be respected by all sides.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not engage in any politics over Imran Khan’s health in accordance with the judiciary’s decision. We too hope that due regard and respect for the judiciary will be maintained from the other side as well,” he said.
Afridi further said implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision was the judges’ responsibility.
“Ensuring implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision is the judges’ responsibility, and it is hoped that they will fulfil their duty, insha’Allah,” he added.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until he was ousted through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, has been incarcerated since 2023 following convictions in several cases, including graft charges and the alleged disclosure of official secrets.
Khan and his political aides have consistently maintained that the legal proceedings against him are politically motivated and aimed at preventing his political return.
Following his removal, Khan led nationwide rallies alleging that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration had conspired with Pakistan’s military establishment and Washington to remove him. The Pakistani administration subsequently launched a crackdown against PTI leaders and supporters, with the party barred from participating in the 2024 general elections.
Khan’s supporters have repeatedly alleged that the cases against him are politically motivated and intended to prevent his political comeback. (ANI)
