Pakistan’s Punjab government has barred former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently jailed, from meeting his wife, Bushra Bibi, as well as his lawyers and party leaders until October 18, citing security concerns. Imran Khan has been held in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail in several cases since August 2023.
The move comes from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad on October 15-16. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused Khan’s party, PTI, of trying to disrupt the event through protests in various cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
A PTI spokesperson stated that Imran Khan’s legal team plans to file a petition to lift the ban. The team argues that video link meetings should be allowed for legal consultation, following a previous court order from the Islamabad High Court.
PTI supporters have staged anti-government protests across multiple cities in response to the ban.
