‘Enjoying holidays, not jail’: Pakistan minister on Imran Khan's prison stay
Khan, the founder of the PTI party, has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since mid-2023 in connection with multiple cases.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has dismissed allegations of unfair treatment of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying he appears to be “enjoying holidays” rather than serving a jail sentence.
Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since mid-2023 in connection with multiple cases. His party has accused authorities of denying him basic rights and preventing key meetings.
“In my opinion, the PTI founder is actually enjoying holidays instead of facing a jail term,” Tarar said during an interview with Geo News on Wednesday. He added that Khan is afforded privileges that no other political leader has received, including frequent visitors several times a week.
Tarar also underlined that the PTI leader is enjoying extensive jail amenities and access not given to others.
His comments came in the wake of a fresh controversy over a meeting between Khan, 72, and his party members at Adiala Jail. Several PTI leaders were seen blaming one another for creating hurdles while trying to conduct meetings with Khan at Adiala jail.
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Only two authorised lawyers
On Tuesday, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan claimed the party had only authorised “two lawyers” to meet Khan, yet five had been allowed in, sparking internal criticism. Gohar also condemned the jail authorities for allegedly preventing Khan’s sisters from visiting him.
Responding to PTI’s broader claims of political victimisation, Tarar dismissed them as baseless, stating that the federal government does not have time to conspire for PTI's demise.
He added that internal strife within the party is to blame for its current troubles.
He pointed to ongoing infighting within the PTI, saying it is now split into two factions — one led by Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, and another by his wife Bushra Bibi. “I really don't know which faction of the PTI was stopping the other from meeting him [Imran Khan],” the minister remarked.
Tarar further criticised the PTI’s political strategy, saying the party itself appears confused about the issues it wants to discuss or negotiate.
