ISLAMABAD: The Adiala jail authorities have rubbished the claims made by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about ill-treatment meted out to the former prime minister Imran Khan, while revealing exquisite menu of meals provided to the party founder in prison.
The menu was revealed after PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan mentioned about alleged mistreatment towards the deposed prime minister in the jail following the former’s meeting with the latter in Adiala — where Imran remains incarcerated for over a year now.
Addressing journalists in Islamabad, the PTI chairman said it was for the first time after his imprisonment at the Adiala jail that Imran mentioned about conditions of his prison cell, media reported.
He said electricity supply to his cell was suspended for five days, while he had not been provided a newspaper or TV facility for the last fortnight and he was allowed to spend just two and a half hours out of his cell in a day.
Condemning the “ill-treatment”, Gohar said the authorities should look after the rights of the former prime minister and provide him the facilities he was entitled to in his “solitary confinement”. He asserted that keeping him in a small cell was a serious violation of constitutional and legal rights.
The PTI leader said the party founder was not even aware of the arrest of his sisters and he rued over the event. However, Imran said he and his entire family would render sacrifice for the sake of people’s struggle, he said, requesting the entire nation to remain peaceful.
Contrary to his expectations, Gohar said they were given 45 minutes to meet Imran. Nevertheless, he said the former PM was fine.
“We were expecting to be given enough time to talk, but were given only 45 minutes. We will try to meet him again on Monday,” he maintained.
Responding to the allegations, the Adiala jail authorities an official statement, saying that Imran was being provided with all amenities he was entitled to under B-Class jail rules.
The jail authorities said: “Imran Khan has been given all facilities, including uninterrupted electricity, proper meals and the opportunity to exercise regularly.”
They said that a professional cook prepared his meals, which included a wide range of dishes to his taste.
“Khan’s breakfast consists of coffee, chia seeds, beetroot juice, yoghurt, chapati, biscuits and dates. For lunch, he is served traditional curry, local chicken, chapati, salad, green tea, and mutton. Dinner includes porridge, coconut, coconut juice and grapes, all prepared under the supervision of an assistant superintendent.
“His food is prepared according to his choices and under strict supervision,” the statement read, dismissing claims made during the press conference by the PTI leaders.
Commenting on his health, the authorities said that the former prime minister, who has been imprisoned since last year, was examined thrice a day by an in-house doctor and the fresh medical tests confirmed he was in healthy and active. Doctors of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital too conducted a medical examination and confirmed his well-being two days ago.
Imran is also provided with daily newspapers and exercises for two hours each day, the officials said. They refuted the claims of isolation, stressing that security arrangements in B-Class “are thorough and complete”.
The authorities termed the news doing rounds on social media and within political circles about Imran’s alleged mistreatment as “baseless”. They said that the PTI founder’s conditions complied with all legal requirements.
Separately, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the prison administration for not allowing lawyer Salman Akram Raja to meet Khan, although Gohar, Ali Zafar and Asad Qaiser were permitted.
In his address earlier, Gohar also said the PTI founder asked to arrange meeting with four party leaders, including the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Ahmad Bachhar, opposition leader in Senate Shibli Faraz and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
The PTI chairman said the ex-PM was optimistic, and his message to the nation was that he would spend even 100 years in jail if he had to, for the supremacy of the Constitution and law in the country.
He said Imran vowed to continue the fight and promised that he would never disappoint the people of Pakistan.
Gohar said the PTI founder took the constitutional amendment consultation in a positive way and asked for continuing talks with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He had been informed about the constitutional amendment and the progress made with Maulana Fazl, he added.
“Khan Sahib praised Maulana Fazlur Rehman and remarked that the constitutional amendment is a serious matter,” he noted.
On the other hand, the Adiala jail sources told a different story of the party leaders’ meeting with the founder. “You people are of no use to me,” the sources quoted Imran as saying to his party leaders.
The prison sources said Imran berated the PTI leaders for not getting him out of the jail as yet. He complained that his party leaders did not follow the protest plan he had given for his release.
Sources said the PTI founder told the visiting team that he had asked to continue the protest, but “all your protests failed. I had told you to protest during the SCO [summit], but no one acted on it. Follow the plan given by me, only then I will come out of jail.” –Agencies
