The Punjab government has announced a ban on all meetings inside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and former prime minister, is imprisoned.
This restriction is in effect until October 18, and it means Khan cannot meet with party leaders, lawyers, or family members during this period.
The ban is attributed to security concerns, especially with the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit set to take place in nearby Islamabad on October 15-16. Authorities are taking these measures to enhance security at the jail.
A letter from the Punjab Home Department has directed Rawalpindi’s district administration and jail officials to implement stricter security measures in light of a threat alert issued by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 6.
The SCO summit is significant because it will also see the participation of India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, marking the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly ten years.
To ensure safety during the summit, the federal government has called in the Pakistan Army, with troop deployments approved from October 15 to 17.
This is not the first time meetings have been restricted in Adiala jail; a similar ban was imposed for two weeks in March due to security issues. Khan has been in this jail for over a year, facing multiple legal cases.
Earlier this year, the CTD reported the arrest of three terrorists who had a map of the jail, a hand grenade, and explosives. These individuals were said to have connections to Afghanistan.
Additionally, in November 2023, police discovered an explosive device in a suspicious bag near Adiala Road, just one kilometer from the jail.
