Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar on Monday said Adiala jail authorities facilitated a 40-minute meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, after repeated requests.
In a post on X, the lawyer said the meeting took place at 4:30pm, adding that he met the former prime minister after seven months and Bushra after 11 months.
“After repeated applications and requests, I met Khan sahib after seven months and BB after 11 months,” Safdar wrote.
He said the meeting was insufficient to cover all pending cases and legal matters. However, both Imran and Bushra briefed him on their health and living conditions and gave him fresh instructions regarding certain cases.
Imran has remained behind bars at Adiala jail since August 2023, facing a series of corruption and terrorism-related cases following his ouster from power in April 2022.
He is currently serving prison sentences in the Al-Qadir Trust and Toshakhana (Bulgari jewellery set) cases. His convictions in two other Toshakhana references have been suspended pending appeals.
The PTI founder also faces several cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots, which erupted following his arrest. The party has consistently rejected the allegations against him, maintaining that the cases are politically motivated.
Political tensions surrounding his imprisonment escalated in October when PTI launched a long march towards Islamabad, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who is now dysfunctional due to emergency measures in the province.
The march began in Lakki Marwat on October 4, with protesters demanding Imran’s release and access to medical treatment, including a meeting with his personal doctor.
However, on October 11, President Asif Ali Zardari proclaimed an emergency and imposed governor’s rule in the province on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, effectively suspending the PTI-led provincial government.
The federal government cited the deteriorating security situation and alleged shortcomings in the provincial administration’s counterterrorism efforts.
Following the imposition of governor’s rule, Afridi and several provincial cabinet members were taken into preventive custody.
The major opposition party also claimed that its provincial president, Junaid Akbar, had been arrested.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry subsequently confirmed the detentions, saying those facing cases would be charged and tried, while others would be released.
Meanwhile, restrictions on meetings with Imran at Adiala jail have repeatedly drawn criticism from his party and family, who have called for greater access to the incarcerated leader.
In September 2026, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed jail authorities to end the isolation of Imran and Bushra and ensure they were provided facilities in accordance with prison rules. –Agencies
