PESHAWAR: The adviser to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on information and public relations, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, has said that the incarcerated patron-in-chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan was not being provided with appropriate facilities.

This he said after his meeting with Imran Khan, according to a statement issued late on Tuesday.

Barrister Saif added that the prison authorities were not taking proper care of the PTI leader which, he said, was a matter of grave concern.

“Both Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are being subjected to mental torture,” claimed Barrister Saif.

Quoting Imran Khan, Barrister Saif said that basic facilities like TV, books, newspapers and meetings with party leaders were being denied to him, which was a gross violation of the basic human rights.

Saif further said that Imran Khan was unaware of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s visit to Lahore and the protest activities there. “I briefed him on the chief minister’s visit and the protests,” he said.

He also revealed that Bushra Bibi was being subjected to psychological distress in the prison. “She is being given contaminated water, and substandard food. A few days ago, she was bitten by a poisonous insect on her foot, due to which she remained unwell for a week,” he said.

“Despite all the odds and sufferings, both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi remain steadfast and resilient,” he said, adding that Imran Khan was strong and firm and his spirits could not be diminished by torturing his better half.

Saif said he discussed the Senate polls and the ongoing protest with Imran Khan, who took a strong exception to the rifts in the party, and ordered to launch a nationwide protest movement.

He also issued strict instructions that all leaders should refrain from issuing statements or launching social media campaigns against each other.

He also emphasised that all leaders must remain united and focused on the protest movement, giving firm directions to the chief minister and other party leaders to immediately begin the protest movement.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025