PTI Lawyer Salman Meets Imran, Bushra at Adiala jail after Months-Long Wait

Jail authorities facilitate 40-minute meeting with former prime minister after seven months and his wife after 11 months; couple brief counsel on health, prison conditions and legal cases

Hamid Khan Wazir

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, jail authorities on Monday facilitated a meeting between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and their counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, at Adiala jail after a prolonged gap of several months.

The 40-minute meeting marked the first interaction between Imran Khan and the PTI lawyer in seven months and between Bushra Bibi and the counsel in 11 months, raising hopes among the party leadership and legal team for improved access to the incarcerated couple.

In a statement shared on social media platform X, Barrister Safdar confirmed that he had met both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at the Rawalpindi prison, where the couple are serving sentences in separate cases.

https://x.com/BrSalmanSafdar/status/2117286780294906039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2117286780294906039%7Ctwgr%5E119fa822be6f910497237135b0f6c5bdfe6a505b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F2041650 

He said the meeting lasted around 40 minutes, describing the time as insufficient to discuss all pending cases and legal matters requiring the attention of PTI founder and his wife.

“Both briefed me on their health conditions and living conditions and gave fresh instructions for some legal matters and cases,” Safdar wrote.

The meeting is particularly significant given the prolonged restrictions on access to the former prime minister and his wife, despite judicial orders allowing regular meetings with family members, lawyers and other associates.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has permitted Imran Khan to meet his family members, legal team and other associates twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, PTI has repeatedly complained that these meetings have not been facilitated regularly, despite multiple court directives.

The latest meeting provided the lawyer an opportunity to receive direct instructions from both prisoners regarding their ongoing legal battles, pending proceedings and other matters requiring legal attention.

Imran Khan has been incarcerated at Adiala jail since August 5, 2023, following his conviction in the Toshakhana case. His wife, Bushra Bibi, was arrested on January 17, 2025, in connection with a separate case involving the couple.

Both have subsequently faced convictions in other cases. In December 2025, they were sentenced to 10 years and seven years in another Toshakhana-related case, respectively. PTI founder also faces several pending trials, including cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.

The prolonged absence of regular meetings with Imran Khan has remained a major point of contention between PTI and the authorities. His sisters, including Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, have repeatedly demanded access to their brother and raised concerns over restrictions on meetings at the prison.

They, along with opposition leaders and party supporters, have also staged sit-ins outside Adiala jail to press for his release and demand that court-ordered meetings be allowed.

However, such protests have faced restrictions following the detention of several PTI leaders and supporters in late September under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, as the party prepared for a protest march towards Islamabad. The latest meeting between PTI founder, his wife and their counsel comes against this backdrop of continuing political tensions and legal battles.