Pakistan readies special jail in Rawalpindi for ex-PM Imran Khan

Authorities in Pakistan have prepared a special prison facility in Rawalpindi to shift former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail, with the move expected once the verdict in the Toshakhana II (state gifts) case is announced, according to sources.

The facility, located in the Qasim Market area of Rawalpindi, has reportedly been equipped with all required legal and administrative arrangements. Around 40 prison staff have been deployed at the site since July 31, with security measures and monitoring protocols finalized, sources said.

Khan, currently held at Adiala Jail, is expected to be moved once the court delivers its ruling in the high-profile graft case.

His wife, Bushra Bibi, may also be transferred to the same facility, according to sources. The prison staff, drawn from jails in Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum, have been posted under orders issued by DIG Prisons Rana Rauf. The facility is overseen by DSP Prisons Amir Fayaz Bhatti.

Preparations for Khan’s possible transfer coincided with heightened political activity on Monday. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met Khan inside Adiala Jail for nearly three hours - his first meeting with the PTI founder there since February.

Gandapur left without speaking to reporters, and his staff later said he had gone to KP House in Islamabad without making public remarks.

The same day, Khan’s Toshakhana 2.0 trial stretched for almost nine hours inside the jail, according to his lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar and his sister Aleema Khan, who both attended the proceedings.

Aleema, who often relays Khan’s messages, refrained from commenting on Gandapur’s meeting with her brother, instead emphasizing the day’s legal proceedings.

The unexpected meeting between the KP chief minister and Khan has fueled speculation of political maneuvering as authorities tighten control over Khan’s detention and finalize arrangements for his potential transfer.