‘Gandapur brought Bani Gala offer to Imran Khan,’ reveals Aleema Khan

Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has revealed that it was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur who brought her brother the offer to shift him from Adiala Jail to his residence in Bani Gala.

Speaking to media persons outside the jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema said that CM Gandapur had brought the house arrest deal to Khan who had no intentions of making a backdoor deal.

“If he [Imran Khan] intended to make a backdoor deal, he would have done it by now instead of facing 200 cases,” she said, but did not reveal who was behind the offer that Gandapur conveyed.

It may be noted that Khan, in a statement on X, had last month said he was offered to be shifted from Adiala Jail to Bani Gala under house arrest, but he had refused the relief offer, saying that it was “illegal incarceration” in the first place. Amid speculations about where the offer had come from, government members had rubbished claims of any such offer for the jailed former premier.

On her brother’s condition, Aleema on Tuesday said his request for the provision of books had been refused and personal doctors were not allowed to visit him. “Imran Khan was even barred from talking to his children.”

In a sarcastic jibe at the government and judiciary, she also said that her brother was disappointed that he had not yet been sentenced in the Al Qadir Trust case.

To a question about why members of PTI’s negotiation committee were not allowed to meet Khan in jail, the incarcerated party founder’s sister said she could not make sense of it given how Khan was allowed to meet others. “We are facilitated to meet Imran Khan even at 7 am.”

It merits a mention that negotiations between the government and PTI have hit a roadblock since after last week’s second round of talks due to either side’s reluctance in agreeing to certain terms.

While the government has been stressing the need for PTI to present its demands in writing, the PTI itself refuses to hold a third round of talks before meeting and discussing the situation with Khan in jail.

Meanwhile, media reports have quoted PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as confirming that backchannel contacts have also been established for a possible solution to the political deadlock.