ISLAMABAD: Noreen Niazi, sister of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, met him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Tuesday, an official said, following court orders directing authorities to facilitate regular family visits to the ex-premier.
The development came hours after Khan’s party said a contempt petition accusing government officials of violating a Supreme Court order about his medical treatment had been refiled after the court registrar returned the original filing over procedural objections.
The case centers on an Aug. 18 order directing authorities to transfer the 73-year-old to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. Khan was instead taken to a state-run hospital, a move the government says was necessary because of security concerns and did not violate the substance of the court’s directions.
Niazi among several family members and senior figures of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party arrived at the jail, where officials initially turned visitors away before letting her inside to see Khan, according to prison sources and PTI.
“The meeting lasted nearly 40 minutes,” a prison official told Arab News on condition of anonymity, declining to share any further details.
Niazi declined to speak to journalists after visiting Khan, while another sister, Aleema Khanum, did not respond to Arab News’ request for comment.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces a series of convictions and other legal cases that he and his party say are politically motivated. The government denies persecuting him.
Restricted family access to the former premier has triggered repeated legal battles. A fresh petition challenging visitation bans on Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, was filed in the Islamabad High Court earlier this month.
On August 18, the Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Khan to a medical facility for examination and treatment. The apex court ruled that the medical review, which was to be conducted in the presence of his sister and personal physician, must not be used for political mobilization, warning that privileges could be revoked if instructions were breached.
Khan was briefly transferred jail to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad before being returned to custody, prompting his party to file the contempt petition. The court order followed urgent applications by Khan’s legal team regarding his deteriorating health, including reports of partial vision loss.
Khan’s wife, who is also serving a sentence at Adiala jail, met with him separately on Tuesday and was granted a family visit too, prison officials told Arab News.
Tuesday’s meetings followed efforts by PTI for consistent access to Khan, arguing that regular family contact was essential to monitor his health and well-being.
