TTAP Rejects PTI Claim Over Planned Adiala Jail Protest

ISLAMABAD: A fresh rift has surfaced within the opposition camp after the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan rejected PTI claims that its leadership had not been properly informed about a proposed 10,000-strong demonstration outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

The controversy revolves around a planned protest linked to PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated at Adiala jail. The matter gained political attention after Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, said she had been approached regarding the possibility of mobilising thousands of supporters outside the prison if a clear schedule was provided.

PTI Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Shahid Khattak later distanced the party from the proposal, saying Mahmood Khan Achakzai had not informed the PTI that such a large gathering was expected. Khattak suggested the party could have mobilised supporters had the plan been formally communicated in advance.

TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai rejected that position on Wednesday and insisted that PTI leaders and lawmakers had repeatedly asked Achakzai to announce a fixed date and time for a protest or sit-in outside Adiala jail. According to the TTAP account, the purpose of fixing a schedule was to allow opposition workers to organise properly and bring a sizeable crowd to the venue.

Yousafzai further claimed that Achakzai had conveyed the proposal to Aleema Khan and that she had agreed to a timed protest outside the prison. He said the issue was also discussed during a joint parliamentary meeting of opposition members at Parliament House on June 11.

According to the TTAP version, PTI’s parliamentary leadership, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Shahid Khattak, was present when participants were briefed that Aleema Khan had endorsed the idea of a scheduled protest. The spokesperson said the subsequent denial by PTI figures was therefore a matter of concern for the alliance.

The dispute highlights the coordination problems facing opposition groups as they attempt to maintain pressure over Imran Khan’s imprisonment, medical treatment and access to family members, lawyers and political associates. The Islamabad High Court has allowed meetings twice a week, but PTI has continued to accuse the authorities of restricting access, a charge the government has denied.

Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving a 14-year sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. His health has also remained a point of political dispute after reports of an eye ailment and repeated demands by the opposition that he be treated in the presence of personal physicians.

For Pakistan’s political landscape, the latest exchange matters because it exposes uncertainty inside a broader opposition alliance already struggling to convert public anger into organised street power. Any lack of clarity between PTI lawmakers, party workers, Imran Khan’s family and alliance leadership could weaken future mobilisation plans.

The next question is whether PTI and TTAP can resolve the communication dispute before announcing any fresh protest outside Adiala jail. If the alliance cannot agree on strategy, timing and responsibility, the opposition’s campaign around Imran Khan’s detention may face further internal strain.