- CM Afridi cites continued non-implementation of court orders.
- No conceivable basis for mismanagement of immediate family members.
- Urges those responsible for visitor mismanagement to be held accountable.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called on his Punjab counterpart Maryam Nawaz to hold accountable those responsible for the mistreatment of the sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and ensure implementation of court orders regarding the meetings with the former prime minister.
In a letter to CM Maryam, Afridi pointed out that “clear and binding” judicial directions governed Imran’s visitation rights, allowing his close family members and designated persons to meet him on certain days.
“Despite the unambiguous nature of these instructions, repeated reports indicate persistent non-implementation by the authorities responsible for respecting them,” lamented the KP director general.
The letter also refers to the brief detention and alleged mistreatment of Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan Niazi and Uzma Khanum — by authorities after they refused to end their sit-in near Rawalpindi Central Jail on Adiala Road after failing to get permission to meet the PTI founder.
The sisters of the incarcerated PTI founder, along with dozens of party members, staged a sit-in on Adiala Road after being denied permission to meet him and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
Meanwhile, police asked Khan’s sister to clear the road, but talks failed and Aleema refused to call off the sit-in. After this, police sprayed water on the road and arrested around 8-10 PTI activists, including Khan’s sisters.
Aleema visited her incarcerated brother in Adiala and served as a key channel in conveying Imran’s messages to PTI workers through the media.
Elaborating on the incident termed “concerning” by CM Afridi, he said these individuals were “apolitical private citizens” seeking only to meet their brother as per the court’s directives.
“[….] there is no conceivable legal or administrative basis for obstructing or mistreating immediate family members whose presence is neither political nor disruptive. Their obstruction, physical coercion or temporary detention are therefore completely unacceptable,” the letter reads.
The KP provincial director general, while lamenting that “such actions create a clear impression that judicial directives are being ignored” and that the situation was “untenable and irreconcilable with the basic expectations of due process and the rule of law”, urged CM Maryam to ensure that a safe and dignified space for authorized visitors is ensured.
He also urged the Punjab government to identify and bring to justice those responsible for obstructing, insulting or physically abusing peaceful visitors, including Imran’s family members, issue clear and enforceable directives to prison and police authorities and establish a transparent mechanism to ensure that future meetings are organized in an orderly, respectful and law-abiding manner.
Further, the KP CM noted that any deviation from court-ordered procedures or disrespectful treatment of his immediate family “becomes a matter of direct institutional concern” and said he cannot remain indifferent when the dignity of a former chief minister and his legitimate rights are compromised.
“I am therefore compelled to demand that these matters be dealt with promptly, decisively and in full compliance with judicial directions.
“I would appreciate your [CM Maryam] pay attention to the above so that the dignity of all concerned is respected and the rule of law remains intact,” concluded CM Afridi.
