KARACHI: Parlia­mentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Monday that meetings with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would remain suspended till Feb 8.

The minister, while speaking on a Geo News show, was responding to its host’s query about the status of the PTI founder’s meetings in jail.

Mr Chaudhry maintained that the prison was “not the headquarters of a political party”, and criticised the PTI for “spreading venom against institutions and [their] leaders”.

The PML-N leader maintained that regular meetings were held between PTI leaders and its founder in Adiala jail in the past, and the government had no issues. However, he stated that the meetings then turned into political press conferences outside the prison, and the opposition party started to create narratives, which were then “run by Indian media”.

Responding to the minister, PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar said the Constitution of the country considered solitary confinement akin to torture, adding that Mr Chaudhry’s statement was against human rights as well as international and local laws.

“The PTI asks party leaders and parliamentarians to gather outside Adiala prison to express solidarity with Khan sahib, but the government uses water cannons and violence against peaceful protesters,” he continued.

Mr Zafar maintained that the PTI “will not back down till we meet with Khan sahib”.

He elaborated that if the government considered the possibility of dialogue to break the current political impasse and was sincere about moving forward, then meetings with Imran would be part of the process.

‘Planning protest’

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah maintained that prison meetings with Mr Khan had been suspended because they were being used to plan and coordinate a large protest in Islamabad to mark the anniversary of the PTI’s Nov 26, 2024, march to the federal capital.

Speaking on another Geo News show, Mr Sanaullah said the party founder and his sister were discussing preparations for a large protest on Nov 26 this year before the meetings were suspended.

“The preparations, messaging and strategic planning were discussed in these meetings, which is why we stopped them,” he added.

The PM’s aide said that stopping the meetings had led to rumours about Mr Khan’s condition during his incarceration — including reports of poor health — and clarified that the PTI founder had “every facility available to him”.

Mr Sanaullah said that statements by Mr Khan’s sister Aleema Khan were “not her own words” and claimed that the party founder had outlined what she should say during a meeting with another sister, Uzma Khan, several weeks earlier.

Responding to a question about the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan’s nationwide strike call on Feb 8 next year, the PM’s aide said there would be no wheel-jam strike in “any street or neighbourhood” anywhere in Pakistan.

Referring to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s call for a march to Islamabad, Mr Sanaullah asked, “Why would they be permitted to protest in Islamabad? Does he have a legal basis? He says he is coming to Islamabad armed and that he will either conquer the city or return in a coffin. Is this in the national interest?”

He continued: “We’ll see what kind of protests they stage and how different they are. Sohail Afridi can’t come down from Peshawar and take over the country.”

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025