Pakistan’s Adiala Jail authorities rejected news on social media about former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘death’, saying he is in good health and would not be shifted from Adiala jail.
Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been constantly denied meetings with anyone, be it his family or party workers. Unverified reports in foreign media went viral on Wednesday about Khan’s death, triggering the trend, ‘Where is Imran Khan’, which was also trending on X on Thursday morning.
Adiala Jail authorities then issued a clarification, saying Khan, 73, who has been lodged in the jail since August, 2023 in multiple cases, is in “completely good health” and that “all necessary care is being provided to the PTI chief”.
“Imran Khan is in Adiala Jail and is healthy. The social media rumours about his transfer are unfounded,” the jail administration said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has been informed regarding Imran Khan’s health. All necessary care is being provided to the PTI chief,” the statement added.
“There is no truth to the rumours being circulated on social media about his medical condition”, authorities clarified, and said reports about shifting Imran Khan from Adiala Jail are “entirely baseless”.
The PTI has demanded that the government lift the undeclared ban on Imran Khan’s meetings and immediately arrange a visit with his family. The development comes as Khan’s three sisters have been repeatedly denied a meeting with him for the last six weeks, leading them to question the whereabouts of the ex-prime minister and also stage sit-ins outside the Adiala jail.
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In a statement issued early on Thursday on X, the PTI demanded that the current government and the interior ministry clearly dismiss and clarify the rumour and immediately arrange a meeting between Khan and his family.
“A formal and transparent statement should be issued on behalf of the state regarding the health, security and current status of Imran,” the party demanded.
“The nation will not tolerate any uncertainty regarding the status of Imran Khan. The government is directly responsible for protecting Imran’s security, human rights and constitutional rights,” the PTI said.
The Adiala Jail comes under the administrative control of the Punjab government of Maryam Nawaz, daughter of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, whom Khan berated publically for indulging in corruption.
Maryam said she has no control over Khan’s meetings, although Khan had earlier claimed that an army Colonel is in charge of the Adiala Jail matters.
However, his party is in no mood to let the matter rest, saying it will take every legal and political step to counter these rumours and bring the truth to light.
PTI leader Meher Bano Qureshi, who is also the daughter of former foreign minister and PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said on X that rumours regarding Imran Khan’s health were concerning.
“The government is responsible for Khan sahib’s safety and is duty-bound to issue a statement updating the nation. As far as putting an end to these rumours goes, the best, most credible way possible is to allow Khan sahib’s sisters, lawyers and party members to meet with him,” Qureshi said.
The party also called on the state to investigate those responsible for spreading rumours of a sensitive nature and demanded that the facts be presented before the nation.
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