Lawmakers from former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party will stage a major protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today to demand his release from Adiala Jail, a senior party leader informed news agency PTI.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that after the demonstration at the IHC, PTI leaders will head to the high-security prison in Rawalpindi to attempt a meeting with their detained party chief.
Khan, 73, has been held at Adiala Jail since his first arrest in August 2023 and remains in custody in multiple cases. Afridi alleged during a press conference that Khan has been kept in “complete isolation” since November 4 and that his sisters, party leaders, lawyers and doctors have all been denied access, amounting to solitary confinement.
Afridi said all PTI parliamentarians will gather at the IHC to protest what he called contempt of court, claiming he was barred from meeting Khan despite orders from the chief justice. After the protest, the group plans to go to the jail in solidarity with Khan’s sisters.
Khan’s sister Aleema Khan has already filed a contempt petition in the IHC against the Adiala Jail superintendent for refusing meetings, citing a March 24 court order that restored the twice-a-week visitation schedule.
Speculation about Khan’s health intensified last week, prompting his son Kasim to publicly demand proof that the former prime minister is alive. The Adiala Jail administration rejected the rumours and said Khan is in “completely good health” and receiving proper care.
Afridi and Aleema were part of a 16-hour sit-in outside the prison on November 27–28 after they were again denied a meeting. Afridi, who became chief minister last month after replacing Ali Amin Gandapur, has said securing Khan’s release is his top priority.
The PTI has urged the government to lift what it calls an undeclared ban on visits and immediately allow Khan’s family to meet him.
