Pakistan's Political Standoff: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Barred In Tenth Attempt To Meet Imran Khan | Exclusive

Last Updated:December 11, 2025, 17:20 IST

Authorities conveyed the firm directive from the jail administration: no visitor will be allowed to meet Imran Khan under the prevailing security and legal restrictions

The Punjab authorities maintain that the heightened security and legal restrictions governing Khan's confinement—which is reportedly in near-solitary conditions—mandate that no exceptions will be made until further official orders are issued. File pic

The stringent solitary confinement of former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan at Adiala Jail has intensified into a major constitutional and political standoff, highlighted by the repeated and public denial of access to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

In his tenth unsuccessful attempt since assuming office, CM Afridi, accompanied by a full official protocol, reached Rawalpindi today only to be stopped by the Punjab Police at the Dahagal Naka checkpoint. Authorities conveyed the firm directive from the jail administration: no visitor will be allowed to meet Imran Khan under the prevailing security and legal restrictions.

The incident underscores the extreme isolation imposed on the PTI founder, with the jail administration maintaining a zero-tolerance policy on external access, even for senior elected officials. Sources close to the KP Chief Minister expressed outrage, noting that as the constitutional head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, CM Afridi was unduly and repeatedly denied entry, a refusal that the PTI is framing as a blatant disregard for both political mandate and constitutional decorum.

CM Afridi has publicly elevated the access issue into a matter of political principle, stating that a sitting Chief Minister cannot be repeatedly stonewalled. He insists that the continuation of such restrictions is a violation of the PTI founder’s lawful right to meet state leadership.

The Punjab authorities, however, remain resolute, maintaining that the heightened security and legal restrictions governing Khan’s confinement—which is reportedly in near-solitary conditions—mandate that no exceptions will be made until further official orders are issued.

With his tenth attempt rebuffed, CM Afridi vowed to continue his public and insistent efforts, asserting that he will keep attempting visits until the PTI founder is allowed his right to consult with the leadership of his provincial government. This persistent denial keeps the issue of Imran Khan’s isolation firmly in the national political spotlight, fuelling the PTI’s narrative of political persecution.

News world Pakistan's Political Standoff: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Barred In Tenth Attempt To Meet Imran Khan | Exclusive

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