Critics of the government say all pilgrims, whatever their status, should be protected from heat, and allege the authorities cracked down on unauthorised attendees in 2024.
Speaking to the media at a district and sessions court in Islamabad, Rashid asserted, "They won't allow the PTI founder to be released at this moment."
With only two debates this election cycle, Thursday's high-stakes event takes on heightened significance, and both candidates have stepped up their personal attacks, with national polls showing the pair neck and neck.
State Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Energy, Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem, was arrested on Sunday along with two others in the capital Male, police said.
An all-male crowd of hundreds -- among them armed Taliban -- watched on two large screens at Kabul Cricket Stadium as South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad.
