• Punjab govt bans meetings at prison for two weeks, orders fresh security measures
• PTI leaders denounce move, demand meeting with Imran today

RAWALPINDI / ISLAMABAD: A few days after the arrest of alleged terrorists in the vicinity of the Adiala jail, the Punjab Home Department on Tuesday imposed a blanket ban on meetings with prisoners for two weeks owing to ‘security threats’ — a move denounced by the PTI as contrary to court orders.

In addition to the ban, the prisons department was also directed to increase the security measures at the overcrowded jail in the garrison city, which houses PTI founder Imran Khan, his aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi and ex-CM Parvez Elahi, among others. More than 6,000 inmates are currently detained at Adiala, more than double the capacity of the jail

Following the ban imposed by the Punjab government, the jail administration did not allow anybody, including lawyers, to meet their clients in the jail on Tuesday.

According to the orders issued to Inspector General of Prisons, Punjab, Mian Farooq Nazir and the jail authorities, law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies have revealed that ‘anti-state’ groups could target the prison to create chaos. Sources said there was a dire need to take necessary measures to avoid any such attack; therefore, the meetings and visits to Adiala Jail had been banned for two weeks.

Fresh security operation

In a separate move, the Punjab Home Department also directed the authorities to carry out a fresh security survey (search operation) inside the jail by the staff of the Special Branch, Intelligence Bureau, and Prisons Department.

The bomb disposal squad should also conduct screening in and around the central jail and barbed wire should be laid on the boundary wall, it said. Furthermore, security clearance of the government contractors and staff working in the jail has also been ordered.

It has been learned that following the orders of Home Department Punjab, IG Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir issued orders to Adiala Jail Superintendent Asad Javed Waraich to carry out the security survey and clearance of Adiala Jail.

Until the completion of the operation, the meetings in the prison have been banned.

It is noted that the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had arrested three terrorists from outside the prison facility last week along with ammunition and a map of the prison. A while ago, two threats were made to target the prison on the official phone numbers of the prison and threatening calls had also been received by the jail authorities for which a case had already been registered.

Ban denounced

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan flanked by Opposition Leader in National Assembly and PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub denounced the two-week ban was imposed on the pretext of a terror threat. “We demand that before imposing this blanket ban, Imran Khan’s family members and lawyers should have been informed,” said the PTI chairman, demanding a meeting with Imran Khan today.

He said that they should be allowed to meet Imran Khan by all means today (Wednesday) despite the ban on meetings. He stated that in connection with the meeting with Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had allowed routine meetings could be held on Tuesday and Thursday, but neither his family, lawyers nor the party leadership were allowed to meet him.

The PTI chairman further said that the PTI founder had given a list of ten lawyers but even they did not get a chance to meet him as per the set rules, adding that they always met him under tight security. “Imran Khan’s life is in danger; he is not an ordinary prisoner that such a meeting be banned. We demand a meeting with Imran Khan and be told where the ban order came from,” the PTI chief said.

Speaking on the occasion, Omar Ayub said that he visited Adiala jail thrice but was not allowed to meet the former premier despite court orders. He said that jail authorities claimed to have detained terrorists from the vicinity of the jail but did they ever conduct an identification parade to ascertain their identity or to which proscribed outfit did they belong? Omer Ayub said that if there was a security issue at the prison despite the deployment of a large number of security personnel and high walls, then the prison officers should be sacked and action should be taken because it proved their incompetence and negligence.

On the other hand, Senator Ali Zafar said the PTI would continue its demonstrations against alleged rigging in the election throughout Ramazan, Dawn.com reported.

Speaking to Geo News, he said a party meeting reviewed the treatment of peaceful protestors across the country and decided that it would not wait for Eidul Fitr and would instead continue with its agitation drive. “We saw today that they did not allow people to meet Imran Khan, so it could be decided that the protest is taken to [outside] the Adiala Jail,” he warned.

Delay tactics

In a video statement, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha said that the federal government was using delay tactics in cases against the former prime minister and his wife.

“The court had ordered the court staff to ensure the attendance of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi during hearings. On Tuesday, we reached the district court on time but neither the staff bothered to reach there nor Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were produced for attendance. The government is not willing to provide security to bring Imran Khan to the court. We demand that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi be produced in the court,” he said.

Advocate Panjutha said that on Tuesday hearing was postponed till 1pm by the court, saying that the attendance [of Imran Khan and his wife] would be registered through video link. Later, the attendance was not marked since the internet was not available, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024