Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, on Tuesday led a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail after once again being denied a meeting with the ex-premier.
The PTI has made multiple attempts to meet the incarcerated party founder, being denied an audience each time by jail authorities despite a court order allowing meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
However, last week, the authorities allowed Uzma Khan, another one of Imran’s sisters, to meet her incarcerated brother. After the visit, she said he was “perfectly fine”.
Speaking in video statements as she made her way to the prison today, Aleema alleged that the state had been breaking the law, while maintaining that the PTI had done nothing illegal.
“If they do operate illegally and we do our work according to the law, and if they are right and we are wrong, then that shows just how our system works,” she said,
She then highlighted that Imran has not been allowed to meet his personal physician for the past 14 months.
“What is the issue in allowing one doctor to meet Imran Khan?” she asked. “When Nawaz Sharif went to jail, a doctor was with him all day, counting his platelets.
“What sort of system is this?”
Aleema then exited her car and began to walk towards Adiala jail, accompanied by a large crowd of party members and supporters. She made it to Gorakhpur Market on Adiala Road — roughly a kilometre southwest of the prison — before being stopped by riot police.
Sitting at the police barricade, Aleema delivered another statement on video.
“This is unconstitutional and illegal. Why are they keeping Imran Khan isolated and tortured?” she asked. “These people are violating the Constitution and breaking the law.
“We will not move from here; they can beat us with sticks or shoot us,” Aleema added. “Do what you will.”
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan spoke to reporters at Dahgal, just up the road from the prison and urged authorities to allow meetings with Imran, stating that it would “improve the situation”.
“We have a right to come here, and there is a court order allowing us to be here,” Gohar argued. “We had an agreement and a consent order that family and legal counsel could meet him (Imran), but even today, we have been stopped.”
“There are a lot of things we are trying to do, but they are not in our control. But if we are allowed to meet, if he is allowed to meet his wife then it will improve the situation.”
Gohar also said that there cannot be division in the country and while there is disagreement in politics, there should not be hostility.
He left the area without meeting the PTI founder
Last Tuesday, Uzma was accompanied by scores of PTI supporters who gathered outside the jail as she went inside the prison to meet her brother.
When she exited, she delivered remarks on Imran’s behalf, which were later posted to his X account. These remarks were critical of army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and prompted a fiery response from the military’s spokesperson last Friday, who branded Imran “mentally ill” and a “narcissist”.
Last Thursday the federal government barred Uzma and others from meeting Imran over alleged violations of the prison code.
“There is no room in the [prison] rules for political discussions and it was reported that political discussions occurred, so meetings are now banned for Uzma Khan. This won’t happen,” said Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
That same day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied a meeting with Imran for the ninth time. He addressed the media outside the prison after the continued lack of access and said he would update the media on the future course of action — whether he would stage a sit-in or not.
The next day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that “the gloves are off” and that anyone protesting outside Adiala jail, where PTI founder Imran Khan is currently incarcerated, would be dealt with harshly.
The minister said that strict action would be taken against any individual who creates a law and order situation outside the prison, including arrests and the registration of legal cases.
