Tariq Fazal hints at more Imran meetings amid fresh signs of easing tensions

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday that meetings with imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan could continue if they were held in accordance with the jail manual, but added that he could not be allowed to run political affairs from prison.

Speaking on HUM News programme “Question Hour” with Absa Komal, Tariq Fazal said that Khan had apparently been made to understand that all matters concerning his detention would be governed by prison rules.

“If politics is not conducted from inside the jail, there will be no obstacle to meetings,” he said.

His remarks came days after Khan’s lawyers, Latif Khosa and Salman Safdar, were allowed a lengthy meeting with him at Adiala jail on November 11. The lawyers later said legal and medical issues, pending cases and other matters had been discussed.

Khan’s sisters, Noreen Khan and Uzma Khan, were also released from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail a day earlier after about a month in detention, developments that PTI leaders and political observers have described as signs of an easing of tensions.

Tariq Fazal said the government was taking care of Khan’s food, exercise and medical needs and had never compromised on his health.

He said Khan had previously been shifted to hospital when health concerns arose and accused the PTI of linking his medical condition with political issues.

The minister maintained that the government was fulfilling its responsibilities regarding Khan’s health and medical facilities but said prison regulations had to be followed.

According to Tariq Fazal, Khan had continued to handle political matters while in prison but had now been told that all activities inside jail must remain within the limits of the jail manual.

He also said the end of the one-month detention period for Khan’s sisters had led to the latest development regarding their access.

PTI calls meetings a positive development

PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan, who also appeared on the programme, welcomed the recent meetings but said they should not be described as an extraordinary concession.

He said meetings with Imran had remained restricted for about a year, particularly for political leaders, and that allowing access should be seen as a positive step if court orders were now being implemented.

“Meetings were stopped for a long time, especially for political leaders. Therefore, the resumption of meetings is an important development,” he said.

Ali Muhammad said court orders regarding meetings had been issued in the past as well, adding that their implementation should be welcomed.

He said Pakistan’s interests should take precedence over political differences and that positive developments should be viewed constructively.

The PTI leader also said party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi remained in contact, arguing that political issues should be addressed through dialogue and communication.

PTI sees common ground on new administrative units

The discussion also touched on the debate over creating new provinces and administrative units.

Ali Muhammad said the PTI would support the creation of smaller provinces or administrative units if such changes improved governance and provided greater relief to the public.

He said Imran had long supported the idea of smaller provinces in Pakistan and that any decision should reflect public needs, consent and the national interest rather than political considerations.

“Political parties and governments come and go, but Pakistan’s interests are more important,” he said.

He added that the system existed to serve Pakistan and its people, not the other way around.

Tariq Fazal said Khan had recently shown a softer position on the question of provinces, describing that as his own policy and saying the government had no objection to his views.

However, he reiterated that compliance with jail rules remained essential.

Shami sees signs of reduced confrontation

Senior journalist and analyst Mujeebur Rehman Shami described the recent developments as “cool breezes”, saying they could point towards reduced political confrontation.

He said the resumption of meetings with Imran and the end of restrictions involving his sisters were positive developments, particularly if they encouraged dialogue and greater respect for political and human rights.

Shami said contacts were taking place between the government and the PTI and that such meetings did not appear to be without reason.

He said it was encouraging that the sides appeared to recognise the need for communication, regardless of what changes might have taken place in the PTI’s approach, what Imran was thinking or what other influential quarters had in mind.

“If confrontation is reduced, the sides listen to and understand each other, and the country finds some calm, there can be little better than that,” he said.

The latest contacts and meetings have fuelled speculation about a possible thaw between the PTI and the government, although neither side has announced any formal political breakthrough.

For now, Tariq Fazal’s remarks suggest that access to Imran could continue, provided meetings remain within the framework of prison regulations, while PTI leaders say the resumption of contact should be seen as the implementation of legal and judicial rights rather than a political concession.