Rana Sanaullah rejects Imran-28th Amendment link

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has dismissed speculation that the recent permission granted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to meet his lawyers was connected to discussions on the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.

Sanaullah said the meeting was purely related to ongoing legal proceedings and had no political agenda.

PTI lawyers Barrister Salman Safdar and Advocate Latif Khosa met Imran at Adiala Jail on November 11, following an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order directing prison authorities to facilitate the consultation.

The lawyers had approached the court, arguing that they could not properly present their arguments in the appeals related to the £190 million case without first consulting their client.

Sanaullah said the lawyers had assured the IHC that they would proceed with their arguments once they were allowed to meet Imran.

He rejected claims that the government had facilitated the meeting to secure progress on the proposed constitutional amendment.

“Conspiracy theories are circulating that these meetings with Imran have happened and things are now moving towards the passage of the 28th Amendment,” he said, clarifying that the meeting was part of the legal process.

He added that the IHC would now be able to proceed with the appeals and deliver its decision on the basis of the arguments presented by the lawyers.

Asked whether the meeting was intended to convey a political message to the federal government, Sanaullah said the court’s decision was expected within the next few days. He added that a clearer discussion on the matter would be possible once the court had issued its ruling.

He maintained that the proceedings would be decided on merit and that speculation linking the legal consultation to the proposed constitutional amendment would eventually subside.

Sanaullah also commented on the possibility of shifting Imran to a private hospital for medical treatment.

He said such a decision would depend on the recommendations of the medical panel examining the PTI founder.

According to the adviser, if doctors concluded that the required treatment was unavailable at a government hospital and a transfer was medically necessary, the government and the court could consider moving him to another facility.

However, he maintained that if adequate medical facilities were available at a government hospital, the law required an incarcerated person to receive treatment there rather than at a private facility.

The IHC has previously permitted Imran to meet his family members, lawyers and other associates twice a week. However, access to the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Adiala Jail has remained a recurring concern for the party and their legal representatives.

Restrictions on meetings have repeatedly prompted the PTI to approach the courts for relief.

In April 2026, Barrister Safdar met Imran for a 60-minute legal consultation following court intervention. Bushra was not brought to the meeting.

At the time, Safdar alleged that the couple were being kept in near-solitary confinement for almost 24 hours a day, without access to books, television, family members or legal counsel.

In June, the IHC again directed prison authorities to arrange a meeting between Imran, Bushra and their lawyers within seven days to complete legal formalities and pursue their appeals.

The Supreme Court also ordered weekly meetings between Imran and his family in August. His sister, Noreen Niazi, subsequently met him at Adiala Jail on August 18 after a gap of approximately nine months. The meeting lasted around 15 minutes.

Safdar, however, was not permitted to meet both his clients again until November 2, when prison authorities facilitated a 40-minute consultation with Imran and Bushra.