Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, has stated that the arrest of peaceful workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf outside Adiala Jail is highly condemnable and regrettable. He said that this action by the Punjab government is a clear example of authoritarian governance in the province.
He said that, in accordance with court orders, the sisters of PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan and the party’s lawyers had gone to meet him. However, the Punjab government not only denied them permission to meet—openly violating the Constitution, law, court orders, and jail rules—but also arrested peaceful workers.
Shafi Jan stated that meetings of the founding chairman with his family, political leadership, and party lawyers are a fundamental right under the Constitution and law, which cannot be taken away under any circumstances.However, the Punjab government is continuously creating obstacles to these meetings.
He added that the undeclared ban on meetings with Imran Khan is a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. He said that keeping the founding chairman in solitary confinement is the worst example of political victimization, and that the authoritarian style of governance of both the federal and Punjab governments has been exposed before the nation.
He further stated that the federal government has become blinded by political revenge and is pushing the country toward crises. The Special Assistant added that the federal government is entirely focused on curbing the political activities of PTI, arresting peaceful workers, filing fabricated cases and pursuing political vendettas, while the public continues to suffer due to poor economic and anti-people policies.
Reaffirming his commitment, he said that PTI will continue its legal and peaceful political struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution and law, as well as for the release of Imran Khan, emphasizing that PTI is a peaceful and democratic political party that firmly believes in the rule of law.