Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has offered to shift PTI leader Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to his private residence in Banigala upon the PTI filing a formal application for the transfer.
The minister made this announcement during a television interview. He stated that the incarcerated former prime minister currently enjoys unrestricted meetings with his family and legal team in jail.
“If there is any obstacle in meeting him, we will review it,” Chaudhry said. “We are ready to shift the PTI founder to Banigala; his party should apply. We will definitely shift him, and he may meet people, play ludo, or whatever he wants to do.” Chaudhry also mentioned that first-class exercise equipment has been provided to Imran Khan in jail.
The offer was met with immediate scepticism from opposition figures. Former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar questioned the minister’s authority, stating that neither the federal nor the Punjab government has the power to order such a shift.
.@DrTariqFazal said that Mr @ImranKhanPTI cannot be released, but he can be shifted to his Banigala residence by declaring it a sub-jail. https://t.co/mgp3XpVasS
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) October 23, 2025During the same show, a PTI lawyer challenged the sincerity of the offer. In response, Minister Chaudhry defended the process, noting that the application would logically be sent to Rawalpindi, where Adiala Jail is located.
When contacted for comment, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram downplayed the offer. He cited a recent phone call where the Prime Minister was non-committal about a meeting request from the KP Chief Minister.
“How can one take the minister’s offer made on a TV talk show as a serious one?” Akram asked. He firmly stated that Imran Khan does not believe in political deals and that no such application would be filed, emphasising that his leader only seeks his legal rights as a prisoner.
