- Noreen Khanum meets Imran Khan for the second time in days.
- Sources say easing of meeting restrictions depends on SOP compliance.
- Understanding includes no political statements after family meetings.
ISLAMABAD: The continuation of family meetings with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan is linked to the understanding that his relatives will strictly follow agreed standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly by refraining from holding press conferences or issuing political statements after meeting him, according to informed sources.
Imran Khan’s sister, Noreen Khanum, was allowed to meet him again on Tuesday, marking her second meeting with the former prime minister within a few days time. This development is being viewed as an encouraging sign for the PTI founder and his family.
Sources said the easing of restrictions on family meetings could continue as long as the agreed SOPs are followed. These include an undertaking that relatives meeting Imran Khan would not hold press conferences or make political statements after their meetings.
The understanding, sources said, is also reflected in the Supreme Court proceedings, where such an undertaking has been given.
According to the sources, the issue had remained contentious for a considerable period because family members, after meeting Imran Khan, would sometimes address the media, while statements attributed to him would subsequently appear on his social-media accounts.
The statements, sources said, were often highly critical of the establishment, creating further complications over the continuation of family meetings.
The sources pointed specifically to an earlier meeting involving another of Imran’s sisters, Dr Uzma, after which she reportedly spoke publicly in strong terms despite an assurance that no such statements would be made.
Similarly, Aleema Khan has frequently spoken to the media following interactions with her brother, adding to concerns over the use of family meetings as a channel for political messaging.
Sources said the latest development indicates that the authorities are prepared to allow family meetings to take place more routinely, provided the agreed conditions are respected.
They said there was no reason for such meetings not to become a normal routine, similar to the regular meetings now taking place between former first lady Bushra Bibi and her sisters and daughters.
The sources stressed that the continuation of the current relaxation would depend on compliance with the SOPs. If no press conferences are held by relatives after meetings and no controversial political statements attributed to Imran emerge from jail, the family meetings are expected to continue without the earlier restrictions.
The development could provide a measure of relief to Imran Khan and his family while also creating a mechanism for maintaining regular family contact without turning such meetings into a source of renewed political confrontation.
Originally published in The News
