RAWALPINDI (MNN): PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan Niazi and Uzma Khan, ended their sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka late Tuesday night after authorities once again prevented them from proceeding towards Adiala Jail to meet the jailed former prime minister.
The sit-in concluded around 9:30pm after lasting nearly six hours, following which the sisters walked towards Gorakhpur before heading home. Traffic on the busy road was restored immediately after the protest ended.
For several weeks, Imran Khan has been denied meetings with his family, party leaders and lawyers despite court-approved visiting days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In response, his relatives and PTI workers have regularly staged protests near or outside the prison, some of which were previously dispersed using water cannons and baton charges.
Earlier in the evening, the Saddar police station SHO reached the protest site and held talks with PTI leaders Shaukat Basra and Meena Khan Afridi. After initial negotiations, the matter was discussed with Imran Khan’s sisters, leading to the decision to call off the sit-in.
A PTI post on X earlier showed the protest continuing at 7pm, with supporters chanting slogans and waving party and national flags after being stopped at a police-installed riot fence on Adiala Road.
Speaking to reporters, Aleema Khan alleged that Imran Khan was being kept in solitary confinement and claimed the government was violating the law out of fear of his political message. She questioned the purpose of talks when prison meetings had been suspended.
Aleema also dismissed reports of negotiations with the government, saying Imran had directed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to lead a street movement. She added that this message was conveyed through lawyer Salman Safdar following Imran’s conviction in the Toshakhana-II case.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party’s struggle had turned into a national movement for democracy and judicial independence. He termed Imran’s convictions unlawful and based on false cases, adding that appeals would be filed while the real verdict would come from the people.
Raja reiterated that Imran had not authorised any party leader to negotiate with the government, stating that only TTAP leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Nasir held that mandate.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case, while also facing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 protests. His wife Bushra Bibi is serving a seven-year sentence in the same case.
Concerns over Imran’s prison conditions have been raised by his family and party, while a UN special rapporteur has warned that his detention conditions may amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. On Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced that meetings with Imran Khan would remain suspended until February 8.
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RAWALPINDI (MNN); PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, along with party workers, staged a sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka on Tuesday after authorities stopped them from proceeding towards Adiala Jail to meet the jailed former prime minister.
For several weeks, Imran Khan has been denied meetings with his family, party leaders and lawyers, despite court orders allowing prison visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In response, PTI supporters have been holding regular sit-ins near or outside the jail premises, some of which were dispersed by police using water cannons and baton charges.
A PTI live broadcast showed supporters marching along Adiala Road before being halted at a riot fence, where they raised slogans and waved Pakistani and PTI flags.
Speaking at the protest, Aleema Khan alleged that Imran Khan was being kept in solitary confinement, claiming the government had become fearful of his message and was therefore violating the law. Her video message, shared on PTI’s X account, showed her standing in front of a riot fence with police personnel in riot gear visible behind it.
Police had erected a riot fence near Factory Naka, where Aleema Khan and PTI workers gathered and staged the sit-in.
Talking to reporters, Aleema said authorities were afraid of Imran Khan, which she said was the reason for his continued imprisonment. Asked about the statement issued after the TTAP’s two-day conference, she dismissed it, saying it did not represent an official stance.
She said that while some PTI members were discussing negotiations with the government, Imran Khan had instructed Sohail Afridi to lead a street movement. According to her, this message was conveyed through lawyer Salman Safdar, who represented Imran Khan in the Toshakhana-2 case.
Aleema warned that anyone advocating talks with the government after Imran Khan’s instructions could not remain part of the party. She said they would continue the sit-in and questioned what the government wanted to negotiate when meetings with Imran Khan were banned.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters that the party’s struggle had now turned into a national movement for democracy and judicial independence. He termed Imran Khan’s convictions unlawful and based on false cases, adding that appeals would be filed.
Raja said Imran Khan would be released when the people decided his case. On the issue of street protests, he said Imran had directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to lead the movement in the province, adding that Sohail Afridi was ready and that a similar movement would be launched in Punjab at the appropriate time.
Rejecting reports of negotiations, Raja said Imran Khan had not authorised anyone in the party to hold talks with the government, except TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Senator Allama Nasir. He reiterated PTI’s stance that the February 8 elections were “stolen”.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case. He also faces trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 protests. His wife, Bushra Bibi, is serving a seven-year sentence in the same case.
PTI leaders and Imran Khan’s family have repeatedly raised concerns over his detention conditions. A United Nations special rapporteur has warned that his confinement could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. On Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said meetings with Imran Khan would remain suspended until February 8.
