The Adiala Jail administration on Wednesday dismissed rumours and confirmed that former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan remains inside the Rawalpindi prison and is in good health.This comes amid growing speculation regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s whereabouts.“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” officials said in a statement. They added that Khan was “fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”
The authorities further rejected the claims about any deterioration in his condition, calling it “baseless,” according to Geo TV. The clarification comes at a time when social media has been flooded with unverified claims, including suggestions from accounts based in Pakistan and Afghanistan alleging that Khan had been harmed or killed inside the prison.Khan has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces several cases, including corruption and terrorism-related charges. The accusations were filed after he was ousted from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.Meanwhile, defence minister Khawaja Asif claimed that the former premier was being kept in conditions far more comfortable than those faced by previous prisoners.“Check the menu of the food that comes for him — it is not available even in a five-star hotel,” Asif said. He added that Khan had access to a television, exercise equipment, a double bed and a velvet mattress, according to Geo TV. Recalling his own incarceration, he said, “We slept on cold floors, ate jail food, and had only two blankets in January with no hot water,” accusing PTI leaders of exaggerating Khan’s condition.“Fear God — no one owns time,” the defence minister added.The rumours intensified after Khan’s three sisters were allegedly assaulted by police personnel outside Adiala Jail last week while trying to meet him.Noreen Niazi, one of the sisters, said they were peacefully protesting concerns over Khan’s health when streetlights were “abruptly switched off,” followed by what she described as a “brutal and orchestrated assault.” “We peacefully protested over concerns for his health condition. We neither blocked roads nor obstructed public movement, nor engaged in any unlawful conduct. Yet, without warning or provocation, the streetlights in the area were abruptly switched off, deliberately casting the scene into darkness. What followed was a brutal and orchestrated assault by Punjab police personnel,” Noreen Niazi said.“At the age of 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown violently to the ground, and dragged across the road, sustaining visible injuries,” she added.Thousands of PTI supporters later gathered outside the facility, demanding permission to meet Khan and protesting against restrictions imposed by the government, which has reportedly barred visits to the former prime minister for over a month.Earlier, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi was also denied multiple requests to meet Khan, a decision the PTI alleges is influenced by security forces.
