Islamabad [Pakistan], April 10 (ANI): A rift has emerged within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership over access to party founder Imran Khan, after his sisters were barred from visiting him at Adiala Jail on Tuesday while a group of lawyers was allowed to proceed with a scheduled meeting, Dawn reported.

According to party sources, the jail administration on Tuesday stopped Aleema Khan and other family members from meeting the former prime minister. However, five lawyers -- including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Barrister Ali Zafar -- were allowed to meet Imran Khan in jail.

This move drew strong criticism from PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, who was also not allowed to meet Khan. The PTI had submitted a list of six lawyers for the meeting in line with the Islamabad High Court's orders permitting two visits per week, but Raja's name was removed from the final list approved by jail staff.

The Islamabad High Court had directed that Khan be allowed meetings every Tuesday and Thursday, and assigned coordination responsibility to Salman Akram Raja. After being denied access, Raja stated on Tuesday night that those not on the approved list should not meet Khan and that, 'as long as Imran Khan's sisters were not being allowed to meet him, other leaders should also refrain from meeting the former prime minister.'

Reacting strongly to these comments, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday said, 'The party has never decided that no one will meet the founding chairman if his sisters will not be allowed to meet him. Moreover, if that is the case why did Salman Akram Raja meet Imran Khan (on March 25) while Aleema Khan and other sisters were not allowed to meet their brother.'

'I am the chairman of Pakistan's largest political party and have confidence of Imran Khan. I am facing criticism for last one and half years and I appreciate positive criticism but no one should do it for cheap popularity,' he said.

'...the party has not decided that if one lawyer's name is removed from the list provided to the Adiala administration, others lawyers will not meet Imran Khan either. Moreover, we have not decided that if Imran Khan's sisters will not be allowed, no lawyer will meet Mr Khan,' he said.

He further explained that the only boycott of meetings occurred during the 26th Amendment issue. 'We had provided a list of five lawyers in which Salman's name was also included, but when we received the approval, there were names of three lawyers and Salman's name was missing. We decided that either all five would go there or none of us would. The government was of the view that Salman's name was not included because he was not a parliamentarian...,' Gohar said.

He added that the political committee has not taken any such decision afterward. 'The proposal could be tabled in front of the political committee and if it decided in its favour, then no one would meet Imran Khan if his sisters' access was restricted.'

'However, political point-scoring should not be done, and no one should try to gain cheap popularity. No one should speak about Ali Zafar that he is a 'favourite' person. He is great person...(he) contested party cases in the Peshawar High Court, the IHC, the Lahore High Court, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission and at other forums without charging even a single rupee,' he said.

Following a PTI parliamentary party meeting later in the day, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan also addressed the media and shifted focus to another issue, alleging the PPP's involvement in controversial canal projects in Punjab. 'In July last year a meeting was called in which President Asif Zardari gave approval for the canals under SIFC,' he claimed as per reports by Dawn.

'However, it is the PTI which has raised the issue and said that the water belongs to Sindh and issue should be addressed through Council of Common Interests,' he said.

'Moreover, a mineral conference was held in Islamabad, but I need to tell that the investment comes to those places where peace prevails. We are being told that the cases against PTI can be withdrawn if Imran Khan seeks an apology. It shows that all cases are politically motivated,' he said. (ANI)