IK and other detainees: ‘Unsupervised meetings, political discussions strictly forbidden’

ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday underscored the need for strict adherence to prison regulations in all interactions with former prime minister Imran Khan and other detainees, stressing that unsupervised meetings and political discussions are strictly forbidden.

Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the law minister addressed concerns over Khan’s incarceration, highlighting the restrictions imposed on all prisoners under the country’s penal system.

He made it clear that the convicted former prime minister is permitted only one supervised meeting per week, with a maximum of six visitors. Any political discussions during these visits, he added, are “categorically prohibited,” with all conversations to remain private.

Under prison regulations, Rule 548 prohibits unsupervised meetings, while Rule 557 allows authorities to immediately terminate any meeting deemed to be a threat to public order. The Law Minister reaffirmed that political directives, public statements, or communications via media channels – including social media – are not permitted under any circumstances. He confirmed that several violations of these rules had already been reported.

Minister Attaullah Tarar, in turn, took aim at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) portrayal of Imran Khan’s detention. He labelled the former premier as “the most privileged prisoner in Pakistan’s history,” arguing that Khan’s access to facilities and privileges far exceeds those available to ordinary inmates.

He also condemned what he described as a misleading campaign by PTI regarding Khan’s health and security, claiming that the narrative was being amplified by foreign media outlets, particularly from India and Afghanistan.

“We cannot allow national interest to be sacrificed for the ego of one individual,” he remarked, adding that many of PTI’s online accounts, which were pushing this narrative, appeared to be operated from abroad.

He pointed to new social media features on platform X that reveal the geographical origin of accounts, suggesting that a significant portion of PTI’s online presence was based in India and Afghanistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025