Government and PTI Leadership Reject Reports of Imran Khan’s Transfer from Adiala Jail to Bani Gala
The government and senior leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have rejected media reports suggesting that an offer had been made for the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to his Bani Gala residence.
In a Friday interview with a private TV channel, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stated that Imran Khan had clearly stated that his imprisonment was unlawful and that he would reject any such offer. He emphasized that the PTI leadership had neither received any offer to transfer Khan nor would they consider such a proposal.
Barrister Gohar further clarified that there were no backdoor communications between the party and the establishment. While there had been a positive interaction between PTI and the establishment before the November 26 protests in Islamabad, no such contact had occurred since then. He explained that although PTI and the establishment were moving in a “positive direction,” this did not indicate that formal negotiations had begun.
Commenting on the ongoing talks with the government, Barrister Gohar mentioned that the government’s negotiating team was the only channel involved in discussions. He stressed that politics requires timely dialogue, and negotiations should proceed without delay.
Regarding the breakdown of earlier discussions with the establishment, he attributed the halt to Khan’s sudden arrest on another charge, despite having been granted bail in a separate case.
On the prospect of talks involving major political parties, Barrister Gohar acknowledged that while it would be “an ideal situation” for key leaders to meet at the negotiation table, deep political differences made such a development unlikely at this time. He reiterated that PTI preferred to focus on ongoing discussions through their designated committees.
On the other hand, in a discussion on the same TV program, Senator Irfan Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) rejected any notion that the government had made an offer to PTI regarding Imran Khan’s transfer. He stated that no member of the government’s negotiating team had made such a suggestion, and to his knowledge, no such offer had been made in the past during the two rounds of talks between the government and PTI.
Senator Siddiqui further urged Imran Khan to provide evidence to support his claims.
The dispute over these reports reflects the ongoing political tensions between the ruling government and PTI, with both parties insisting on their own version of events while negotiations continue.
