Islamabad: Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has rejected claims made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that the government offered to transfer PTI founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Bani Gala or place him under house arrest, The Express Tribune reported.
In his remarks at an event in Sialkot on Saturday, Asif rejected the claims calling them baseless. He said, "No such proposal has been made, nor is there any pressure for his release."
He stated that Pakistan's government has no involvement in decisions regarding the detention or relocation of Khan, stressing that such matters are solely within the judiciary's jurisdiction.
Khawaja Asif accused Imran Khan-founded party of fabricating narratives for political mileage. He said, "These claims are entirely unfounded and are part of PTI's ongoing attempts to mislead the public," according to The Express Tribune report.
He further said, "Imran Khan's future will be decided by the courts, not by the government. I have no connection with the judiciary and am certainly not a fortune-teller to predict court outcomes."
Asif slammed Imran Khan's party for its alleged attempts to destabilise Pakistan and said that "all their efforts to harm Pakistan have failed." He expressed government's commitment to maintain political stability and ensure the rule of law in Pakistan.
His remarks come after Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, earlier this week said that authorities had offered Imran Khan a deal to move him from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to his residence in Banigala. According to Aleema Khan, the Pakistan government reportedly made offers through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
She claimed that Imran Khan was repeatedly asked to remain silent in exchange for the transfer but asked how he could accept house arrest after facing jail time, The Express Tribune reported. However, the government and the PTI have denied any such offers.
Khan, who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges including the Toshakhana case, cipher case and un-Islamic marriage case. (ANI)