Imran's nephew denied jail meeting this time; PTI open to possible alliance with JUI-F

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was again denied a meeting with his family and lawyers on Tuesday – a prescribed day by the Islamabad High Court for meetings at the Adiala jail. The denial comes just a day after Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, was allowed to meet him and his incarcerated wife Bushra Bibi for consultations on a legal case. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite multiple court directives , Imran’s meetings with his family and party leaders have been largely restricted in recent months. Speaking to Dawn on Tuesday, Advocate Awais Younas Chaudhry said a son of Imran’s sister Uzma Khanum, Abdullah Khan, reached Adiala jail as a family member to meet the PTI founder.

However, authorities did not grant him permission, said Chaudhry, who had submitted a list of lawyers and party leaders to the Adiala jail administration for meetings with Imran. Chaudhry, whose name was also included in the list, said that lawyers, including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, also reached the prison, but were not allowed to meet the ex-premier. Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — used to stage frequent sit-ins outside the Adiala jail demanding the PTI founder’s release. However, the three sisters have remained detained since late September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, as the PTI geared up for a protest march to Islamabad. Potential JUI-F support Meanwhile, PTI has hinted that it can get support from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the struggle against the government. Speaking to the media, the PTI secretary general…