Aleema Khan Files Contempt Petition After Repeated Denial of Prison Visits to Former PM Imran Khan

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since 2023, and recently his sister Aleema Khan has filed a contempt of court petition against the jail superintendent and other officials.

The petition comes after authorities repeatedly failed to comply with an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that had established a twice-weekly meeting schedule for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder.

Aleema Khan's legal action follows a significant protest where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several PTI members conducted an overnight sit-in outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The demonstration erupted after Afridi was denied permission to meet Imran Khan for the eighth consecutive time.

In her petition, Aleema Khan named several respondents including Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum, Saddar Beroni Station House Officer Raja Aizaz Azeem, Federal Interior Secretary Capt (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha, and Punjab Home Department Secretary Noorul Amin.

The legal document specifically references the IHC's March 24 order that had reinstated Imran Khan's visitation rights. Aleema Khan has requested the initiation of contempt proceedings "due to the wilful non-implementation of the orders passed by this honourable court."

According to the petition, Imran Khan and others were "constrained" to file writ petitions seeking enforcement of visitation rights because of "persistent non-cooperation" from jail authorities and "ongoing political victimization."

The plea further states that "despite clear and unequivocal directions" from the court, respondents have "repeatedly denied access to legal counsel, family members, and associates" of the former prime minister on multiple occasions.

Chief Minister Afridi expressed growing frustration on Thursday, stating that PTI was considering its "last option" to secure a meeting with Imran Khan. He noted that since October 27, Khan's sisters, doctors, lawyers, and PTI leadership have been barred from visiting him.

"November 27 was the date for Imran Khan's cases, but today, December 20 has been given as the date," Afridi told reporters. "If they continue with this attitude, we are considering the last option we have, and we will adopt the last option."

Amid growing concerns about Khan's wellbeing, Adiala jail authorities released a statement on Wednesday asserting that the PTI founder "has not been shifted from prison and remains in good health." Officials dismissed rumors about his health as "baseless" and insisted that his well-being was being properly maintained.

The PTI has demanded clarification from the government regarding rumors about Khan, particularly as his sisters have been denied visitation rights in recent weeks, prompting questions about his whereabouts. Social media speculation regarding Khan's condition has further intensified the situation.

Imran Khan has remained imprisoned since August 2023, facing multiple cases including corruption and terrorism charges, following his removal from power through a no-confidence motion in 2022.