ISLAMABAD(National Times)- While incarcerated ex-prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s sisters remain in detention, some other family members will reach Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala jail on Tuesday in a bid to meet him, a PTI lawyer told Dawn on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawyer Awais Younas Chaudhry said the decision had been taken to show the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that its orders to ensure weekly meetings between Imran and his family were not being implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imran has been in prison since 2023. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings \u2014 on Tuesdays and Thursdays \u2014 with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the PTI founder has been restricted restricted from meeting visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Supreme Court (SC) also directed authorities on Aug 18 to allow him meetings with his family as it ordered Imran\u2019s medical checkup at Islamabad\u2019s Shifa International Hospital, a private facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the SC\u2019s interim order, one of Imran\u2019s sisters, Noreen Niazi, was allowed two consecutive meetings with him. But there has been no other meetings since her last one on August 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noreen, as well as Imran\u2019s other two sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan \u2014 who used to reach Adiala every week in the hopes to meet him \u2014 have now been detained by the authorities under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 ahead of the PTI\u2019s Sept 27 protest call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the PTI has decided that some other family members would reach Adiala on Tuesday for a meeting with Imran, Chaudhry, who submits lists of party leaders and lawyers to the jail administration for the weekly meetings, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not expecting that the orders of the IHC will be implemented, but lawyers and Imran\u2019s family members will still reach Adiala,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawyer added that several of Imran\u2019s family members could reach Rawalpindi, \u201cbut we have decided not to disclose their names as they can also get arrested\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, he submitted a list of lawyers for the meeting with Imran. The list comprises PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Niazullah Niazi, Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry, Raja Yasir and Malik Atif Bashir Awan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PTI condemns reported arrests of parliamentarians
In recent days, there has been reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its Sept 27 countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party has called to demand Imran\u2019s release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PTI has claimed that several of its members, including MNAs Sanaullah Mastikhel, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Mian Ghous, have been taken into custody by the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, the party condemned these reports arrests of its parliamentarians from the Parliament Lodges, calling for their immediate release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, the party declared the reported arrests a \u201cgrave assault on the Constitution, democratic values and parliamentary traditions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReports of the detention of MNAs Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, Dawar Khan Kundi, Ahsan Jamal Khan, Mian Ghaus and Adil Khan Bazai, as well as an MPA from Chitral, Fatehul Mulk, are deeply concerning,\u201d the party said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cParliament is a symbol of people\u2019s mandate, and turning it into a place for action against political opponents shows a dangerous trend against the democratic system,\u201d the party said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, leaders of opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) \u2014 which includes the PTI \u2014 expressed concern over the prevailing political situation in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TTAP Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar met Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas at the opposition leader\u2019s chamber on Monday, a TTAP statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe leaders expressed serious concern over the prevailing political situation in the country, the arrests of political workers, parliamentarians and ordinary citizens, the closure of major roads with containers, and the arrest of Imran Khan\u2019s sisters,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTargeting a homemaker for political reasons amounted to crossing all moral, democratic and constitutional limits,\u201d it added, citing Khokhar and Abbas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The TTAP leaders urged the government to \u201creconsider its approach, release all detained political workers and citizens and remove the containers blocking public roads\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- While incarcerated ex-prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s sisters remain in detention, some other family members will reach Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala jail on Tuesday in a bid to meet him, a PTI lawyer told Dawn on Monday. Lawyer Awais Younas Chaudhry said the decision had been taken to show the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133523,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n