- Sources in the prison say that the ban on meetings is due to security concerns.
- Banning meetings in line with security measures for the SCO discussion.
- The PTI founder was banned from meeting family, lawyers and party leaders.
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has imposed restrictions banning all meetings inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, the facility where PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan is imprisoned, sources said. Geographic News on monday.
Citing security reasons for the ban, which will remain in place until October 18, the sources added that Khan will not be allowed to meet party leaders, lawyers and family during this time.
Prison sources attribute the ban on meetings, including those involving ordinary prisoners, to security concerns. This measure aims to enhance the security of the facility in light of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit scheduled to be held in neighboring Islamabad from October 15 to 16.
On the other hand, the provincial government has sent a letter to the Rawalpindi district administration and prison authorities which also includes directions for additional security measures by the latter.
The letter, issued by the Punjab Home Ministry, attributes the security concerns to the threat alert issued by the Counter Terrorism Department on October 6, and calls for stringent security arrangements and preventive measures to deal with any untoward incident.
The SCO summit holds key significance as Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also attend – the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade.
The federal government has recalled the Pakistani Army as part of its comprehensive security plan while approving the deployment of troops under Article 245 of the Constitution from October 15 to 17.
This is not the first time that the authorities have previously banned meetings inside the Adiala facility. This ban was imposed for two weeks last March due to security concerns.
The complex has been housing Khan for more than a year, as the politician remains involved in multiple cases.
Earlier this year, the Counter-Terrorism Department announced that it had arrested three terrorists and found a map of the prison facility, a hand grenade and explosive devices in their possession.
The terrorists, according to Rawalpindi City Police Officer Khaled Hamdani, come from Afghanistan.
Before that, in November 2023, police found a suspicious bag loaded with an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur – just a kilometer away from the facility.