PESHAWAR: Special assistant to the chief minister on information and public relations, Shafi Jan, on Tuesday dubbed the ban on a scheduled meeting between the family members and the incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan as a blatant violation of court directives.

He said that repeatedly obstructing meetings between the family and Mr Khan was a violation of the Constitution, the rule of law, and democratic values, calling the situation deeply regrettable and condemnable.

Mr Jan said that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, along with members of the parliament, was present outside the Adiala Jail to express solidarity with Mr Khan and his family. He added that after being denied permission for the meeting, Mr Afridi and other parliamentarians staged a sit-in outside the jail.

He further stated that the chief minister, other party leaders, family members, and lawyers had been denied access to Mr Khan for several months.

According to him, restrictions on peaceful political activities and repeated hurdles in arranging meetings with Khan reflected the authoritarian style of governance.

Mr Jan stated that the federal and Punjab governments, which he said lacked a genuine public mandate, had kept Mr Khan in solitary confinement, terming it a serious violation of fundamental human rights and an extreme example of political victimisation.

He further said that the imposition of Section 144 in Rawalpindi on the day scheduled for meetings with Khan demonstrated the Punjab government’s fear of the incarcerated PTI founder. He described the atmosphere outside Adiala Jail as curfew-like, with roads sealed and heavy restrictions in place, which he said reflected political insecurity within the Punjab government. He said that despite clear court orders, the Punjab government was continuing to employ underhanded tactics to obstruct meetings with Khan.

The CM aide also said that the federal and Punjab governments had deprived both Khan and Bushra Bibi of adequate medical facilities.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026