Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has reportedly written a letter to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, requesting a meeting with detained party Founder Imran Khan.
However, the Interior Ministry has clarified that no assurance has been given regarding the meeting, citing security concerns and ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) arrangements.
According to a spokesperson from the ministry, while Barrister Gohar did engage in a telephone conversation with the interior minister on Sunday to discuss the request, Mohsin Naqvi only assured him that the matter would be reviewed. The spokesperson emphasized that no permission for a meeting has been granted.
Due to security concerns and the upcoming SCO summit, a policy had been devised to prohibit meetings with prisoners, hence the requests are not being entertained. The spokesperson further explained that allowing one prisoner a meeting would amount to discrimination against others, and therefore, a consistent policy is being enforced for all detainees.
The spokesperson reiterated that the interior minister did not commit to granting Barrister Gohar’s request and emphasized that the current restrictions on prisoner meetings remain in place for security and fairness reasons.
The sources also said that allowing one prisoner visitation rights would amount to discrimination against other prisoners.