Pakistan’s deepening political crisis escalated Thursday after authorities barred senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf officials from meeting incarcerated founder Imran Khan. The confrontation at Adiala jail comes just days after a provincial leader threatened to deploy a private militia to free the former prime minister, drawing immediate scrutiny from the country’s newly established Federal Constitutional Court.
A six-person delegation led by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja arrived at the prison in Rawalpindi on April 2 but was intercepted by security personnel at the Dhagil check post. The refusal directly defies a March 24 directive from the Islamabad High Court that explicitly mandated twice-weekly visits for Khan’s legal team and political associates.
The delegation was scheduled for a designated visiting slot between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. After arriving at 1:45 PM and being turned away, the PTI members staged a protest outside the prison walls. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 facing charges including the £190 million corruption case and allegations related to the May 9 riots.
The continued isolation has raised alarms within the party hierarchy, according to a detailed report on the Thursday blockade. The list of denied visitors included Seemabia Tahir, Haider Mehdi, Raja Saqib Ali, Jahangir Ahmed Butt, Malik Najam Khan, and Muhammad Owais Qaiser.
How should the protest for Imran Khan's release be?
The PTI leaders are worried that if they call for a protest, people won't show up. So, they're planning something where ten thousand people will go outside Adiala Jail to show their support for Imran Khan. Then, they'll give the… pic.twitter.com/AvCOdibO63— Ibrahim Maseed (@Ibrahim12mahsud) March 31, 2026
PTI core committee member Seemabia Tahir stated the former prime minister has effectively been held in solitary confinement for the last five months. His last permitted visitation occurred on February 10 with his lawyer, Salman Safdar. That specific meeting required direct intervention from the Supreme Court.
How the Adiala Jail Blockade Triggered the ‘Release Force’ Investigation
The repeated denial of access to Khan has shifted the PTI’s strategy from legal maneuvering to physical mobilization. This friction reached a breaking point when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the creation of an “Imran Khan release force” to secure his freedom.
This specific escalation has caused a massive constitutional ripple across Pakistan. On April 1, 2026, the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court formally intervened. The court demanded an immediate explanation from the provincial government regarding the legality of establishing what political critics fear is a private militia operating against federal authority.