ISLAMABAD: Authorities at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail have dismissed rumours suggesting that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan could be transferred to a prison in another province, terming the circulating reports baseless and speculative amid heightened political tensions.
Jail officials said on Wednesday that “no proposal is under consideration” regarding Imran Khan’s transfer and insisted that the former prime minister’s security and diet are being fully ensured.
The clarification came after a series of statements and rumours on social media suggesting that the government was preparing to move Imran Khan due to persistent unrest outside the prison.
PTI, responding to the reports, said it was already clear that its supporters, party leaders and Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khanum and Noreen Niazi, would reach any location with the same resolve if he were moved.
“The founder cannot be separated from the people, nor the people from their founder,” the party said.
The denial from Adiala Jail contrasts with comments made earlier by a senior government official, who said authorities were considering transferring Imran Khan because continuous protests outside the facility were disrupting the lives of nearby residents.
At a press conference in Islamabad, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Information Ikhtiyar Wali accused PTI of pursuing an agenda meant to destabilise the country.
“These people are attacking the country’s dignity and progress daily,” he said.
He claimed that protests outside Adiala Jail had forced the government to reassess security and administrative arrangements, adding that PTI leaders themselves wanted their detained leader to be shifted.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday when prison authorities refused to allow PTI lawyers to meet Imran Khan.
Following the denial, PTI leaders and PTI founder’s sisters staged a sit-in near a police checkpoint.
Police used a water cannon to disperse the protesters and impounded several vehicles, later transferring them to the Rawat police station.
According to police, many of the seized vehicles belonged to government departments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI condemned the police action, calling the use of a water cannon on women in freezing temperatures “inhumane” and accusing authorities of denying the former prime minister his basic rights despite court orders.
A video released by PTI showed Aleema Khan urging supporters to stay calm in the middle of the water cannon spray, saying, “It is only water.”
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