‘House arrest instead of jail possible if Imran Khan does not challenge system’

Senior journalist and analyst Ansar Abbasi has claimed that the government could consider offering Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan the option to stay under house arrest instead of Adiala Jail if he “does not challenge the current system”.

According to the veteran journalist, key members of the government’s negotiations team are of the view that if the jailed former premier puts an end to agitational politics, he can be moved to his residence in Bani Gala from the jail in Rawalpindi.

However, he added, there would be no compromise on May 9 consequences or the demands against coalition government completing its five-year term.

It merits a mention that neither the government nor the PTI has so far openly or formally discussed the possibility of house arrest for Khan, and the reports are rooted in an informal mention of the same by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s aide Rana Sanaullah.

In a conversation with reporters after meeting their brother in jail, Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan have also rubbished these claims besides quoting their brother as determined to not consider it an option till political prisoners belonging to the PTI were freed.

“The proposal I received for a deal was: negotiate with us, and we will give your party 'political space', but you will be placed under house arrest and moved to Bani Gala. My response was that all other political prisoners must first be released. I would rather stay in jail than accept any deal. I will neither go into house arrest nor to any jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [sic],” read a Dec 27 post on the incarcerated former premier’s X account.

Abbasi, in his report, also quoted sources as saying that in the Jan 2 meeting between the negotiating teams of the PTI and the ruling coalition, the government was likely express that all individuals facing serious charges, including Khan, would have to get themselves cleared from court.

PTI, on the other hand, would come up with a formal demand for the release of all workers and leaders, primarily Khan, the report said.

While the same could result in yet another deadlock, Senator Irfan Siddiqi, who is a part of the government’s negotiating team, told a private media outlet said that he was not aware of any proposal regarding shifting Khan to Bani Gala. 

He said the PTI committee had been told that a majority of the current government’s members were imprisoned during the PTI government, and all of them were released through judicial process instead of an executive order.