The authorities of Pakistan’s Adiala Jail, where former prime minister Imran Khan is currently imprisoned, moved to quash widespread social media speculation on Wednesday by confirming that the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is “fully healthy” and remains inside.
Rumors, which included unverified reports that he had been killed or transferred out, spread fast on social media. The officials of the prison dismissed them as “baseless” and untrue.
Official Statement Of Health Status
According to the statement, this was meant to reassure the public and Khan’s political party after it issued a formal call for a government statement on his condition and whereabouts.
Health and Transfer: “There is no truth in the reports about his transfer from Adiala jail. He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention,” Geo News quoted officials as saying.
PTI Demand: The PTI party immediately asked the government to clarify the situation and demanded that the authorities facilitate an immediate meeting of Khan with his family, citing that the state was responsible for his security and constitutional rights.
Rumours surfaced after family claims of assault.
Unconfirmed reports and speculation on death gained momentum following heightened tensions outside the Adiala Jail checkpost last week.
Family Protest: Khan has been in jail since August 2023 and has faced an “undeclared ban” on meetings for more than a month; his three sisters, Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan, held a sit-in protest.
Police Assault Allegation: In a letter to the Punjab police chief, the sisters called for an impartial probe into the “brutal and orchestrated” assault they allegedly faced along with PTI supporters outside the jail.
Noreen Niazi said she was “seized by my hair, thrown violently to the ground, and dragged across the road” by Punjab police personnel while they were protesting peacefully.
Meeting Denied: Even the Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reportedly could not get a meeting with Imran Khan despite trying seven times in a row.
The jail administration has stressed that it is ensuring the former premier’s well-being amid the intense political atmosphere and the continuing concern from his party and family.
