RAWALPINDI: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was stopped from meeting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Thursday.
Afridi reached the Medicine Factory checkpoint on Adiala Road with several PTI leaders and lawmakers. Police stopped the delegation from moving towards the prison.
The chief minister was accompanied by Mena Khan, Shafi Jan, Ahad Shah, Abdul Salam Afridi and Shahid Khattak.
Police had earlier blocked Adiala Road from Gorakhpur towards the jail. Traffic was diverted to alternative routes.
Afridi questioned the SHO Saddar Beroni about the restrictions. He also asked what instructions had been issued to the authorities.
The chief minister remained at the checkpoint until the scheduled meeting time ended. He and the accompanying PTI leaders were not allowed to meet Imran.
After the delegation left, police removed the barriers. Traffic on Adiala Road was restored.
Speaking to the media, Afridi announced a protest call if he was not allowed to meet the PTI founder.
He said PTI workers would come out across the country at 10pm. He urged them to gather at major intersections while carrying the national and party flags.
Afridi also asked workers to stay focused on the party’s planned march towards Islamabad on September 27.
He claimed that the PTI planned to bring two million people to Islamabad. He said the number could be even higher.
The chief minister said the authorities should allow a meeting with Imran before September 28 if they wanted to reduce political tensions.
Afridi also criticised the treatment of Imran and PTI since 2022. He accused the authorities of pushing the country towards instability because of political differences and stubbornness.
He further criticised other political parties and questioned their role in the country’s political situation.
The latest incident comes amid growing concern within PTI over Imran’s health and access to him.
The party has repeatedly demanded that its founder be allowed to meet family members, lawyers and party leaders.
Imran has remained incarcerated at Adiala Jail since 2023. His wife, Bushra Bibi, is also imprisoned.
The PTI founder has faced several legal cases during his imprisonment. He and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case in December 2025.
PTI has also raised concerns over Imran’s eyesight and medical treatment.
Earlier this year, doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences examined him at the jail. PIMS later confirmed that he had received an anti-VEGF injection for a condition affecting his right eye.
A later medical examination indicated improvement in his eyesight following treatment.
Imran’s sisters and PTI supporters have also held regular gatherings outside Adiala Jail on designated meeting days.
However, access to the former prime minister has remained restricted in recent months.
Afridi’s unsuccessful visit on Thursday is likely to further intensify the political confrontation between PTI and the authorities.
