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Sunday, October 06, 2024  
03 Rabi Al-Akhar 1446  

PTI chairman given ‘B Class’ facilities in Attock jail

Imran Khan’s family will be able to visit him once a week
Imran Khan was photographed after the arrest. Photo social media
Imran Khan was photographed after the arrest. Photo social media

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been given ‘B class’ facilities in the Attock jail situated in northwest Punjab, sources said.

Khan will be provided with a room cooler, an attendant, newspaper and a washroom while he will also be allowed to go for a walk, they added.

The former prime minister, who was arrested from his residence in Lahore, was moved to the Attock jail on Saturday after being brought to Islamabad via Motorway.

Khan was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and a fine in the Tosha Khana criminal case.

There were reports that Imran Khan would be imprisoned in Adiala Jail, but he was eventually taken to Attock Jail.

Police sources said Imran Khan was shifted to Attock Jail at 6:50pm on Saturday and according to the jail manual, he was given a medical examination, in which he was declared healthy.

Read: Imran Khan’s ‘first post-arrest photo’ surfaces on social media

The PTI chairman’s family will be allowed to meet him once in a week during his stay in the prison.

The Class B prison consists of prisoners who by social status, education or habit of life have been accustomed to a superior mode of living, according to Pakistan Prison Rules.

Habitual prisoners can be included in this class by order of the government.

The qualification for A or B class are based on multiple criterion such as whether the prisoner is casual or habitual, social and financial status of family, profession of the prisoner, income or academic qualifications of the prisoner.

No A or B class

Earlier on Saturday, an officer of the Punjab Prisons Department told BBC Urdu that after Imran Khan’s transfer to jail, his arrest warrant will be checked as per the usual procedure. If there is any previous medical record, it will be checked after which a fresh medical test will be conducted in the jail itself.

Imran Khan’s personal belongings will be handed over to the authorities which will be kept in the jail vault. These items are returned at the time of assessment.

Read: PTI calls for nationwide ‘peaceful’ protests against Imran Khan’s arrest

The Attock prison was reported to lack A or B class facilities for the prisoners. Hence, Khan was expected to live like a common prisoner, that is to say, in C class.

Roads leading to jail sealed

Local journalists in Attock told Aaj News that the police have sealed all the roads leading to Attock Jail and set up posts. Police elite force troops have been deployed around the jail and secret agencies have also set up camps inside and outside the jail.

No journalist or common man is being allowed near the jail.

Due to the strict security arrangements, the local population is facing severe difficulties. Residents of the area are facing a lot of difficulties in going to their homes.

Read: PTI moves court against Imran Khan’s arrest

Earlier it was reported that Chairman PTI was taken to Pims Hospital, where he was to undergo a medical examination, after which he was to be shifted to jail.

On the other hand, Polyclinic Hospital has formed a 4-member standby medical board headed by Dr. Faridullah Shah for Imran Khan’s medical examination. The hospital administration has issued instructions to the medical board members to stay on standby.

After a police team arrested PTI Chief Imran Khan at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore within half an hour of his sentencing by an Islamabad court, he was whisked away from the back door, PTI sources told Aaj News.

No one knew immediately where Khan was going to be taken. Initial reports suggested that he was to be held at the Kot Lakhpat prison, which is officially known as Lahore Central Jail.

Hours long motorway journey

Soon after the arrest, Riaz Ahmed of Aaj News reported that the police were planning to fly Khan to Islamabad. This was later confirmed by Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir.

Under the law, you cannot move a person arrested from one jurisdiction to another without court approval.

Riaz says the police produced Imran Khan before a local magistrate and completed the legal process for his transfer to Islamabad.

He was then taken to the Lahore Airport from where he was to be flown to Islamabad. However, bad weather did not allow the air travel and Khan was carried to Attock in a convoy of vehicles by road.

Adiala prison

Usman Muzaffar from Islamabad reported that authorities at Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison were making preparations for Khan’s stay.

This coincided with reports that additional security personnel were being deployed on the roads of the twin cities, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The 2,500 personnel deployed at the district court premises earlier in the day have been redeployed to other locations in the city, said Muzaffar.

When the court sentenced Khan to a three-year jail term, it also issued his arrest warrants and tasked the Islamabad inspector general of police with the execution of the warrant. This was another reason to believe that Khan will be moved to Islamabad.

However, the plans for Adiala jail, if any, were dropped later.

However, it is not clear if Attock prison will be the final destination for Imran Khan. His arrest has been discussed in the country for months and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the former prime minister may be sent to Balochistan’s notorious Mach Prison and held at its Chilli Ward.

 Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore
Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore

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