Imran Khan’s sisters stage sit-in again after being denied prison meeting

The sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan were again denied permission to meet the former prime minister at Adiala jail on Tuesday, sparking a sit-in protest that led to parts of Adiala road being blocked.

The weekly protest followed prison authorities’ refusal to allow meetings between the PTI founder and his sisters – Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan – as well as party leaders and other family members. The sisters were also scheduled to meet Bushra Bibi.

The sisters reached the area via Chakri Interchange on the highway and arrived at the Gorakhpur checkpoint, where police deployed in large numbers stopped their vehicle and blocked the road by placing a tipper. Led by Aleema Khan, the sisters and PTI workers then headed to Adiala jail on foot.

At the factory checkpoint on Adiala Road, police erected iron barricades and completely sealed the road, preventing further movement. Around 3:30 p.m., Aleema announced a sit-in on Adiala Road following the denial of permission to meet the PTI founder. Party activists joined the protest, chanting slogans while sitting on the road.

Top PTI leaders from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including provincial president Junaid Akbar, Mushtaq Ghani and KP government spokesperson Shafiullah Jan, arrived at the venue and joined the sit-in to express solidarity.

Speaking to the media, Aleema said that every Tuesday they were stopped from meeting the PTI founder, alleging that the authorities were afraid of him and were violating the Constitution and law. She claimed that the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi were kept in solitary confinement and subjected to mental torture.

Pointing at the barricades, she wondered why authorities could not explain the reason for his isolation, even though he was the country’s most popular leader.

Aleema further said that the PTI founder had already given a message to prepare for the protests, adding that once such a message is given, anyone who talks about negotiations will no longer represent the party. She claimed that whenever the PTI founder called for protests, those with what she called a “stolen mandate” immediately started talking about negotiations.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the government to comply with court orders regarding jail meetings.

Speaking to media near the Dahgal checkpoint near Adiala Prison, lawyer Gohar said it did not seem likely that meetings would be allowed that day, but stressed that they should take place. He said the country’s problems were worsening and the public should be informed about the health condition of the PTI founder, adding that there should be no politics regarding family visits.

He also said Bushra Bibi’s family should be allowed to meet her and criticized the decision to block meetings in prison, warning that such actions were pushing the situation towards greater hostility. He urged the government to comply with court orders regarding prison meetings.

He said discussions between the government and the PTI would be underway as Aleema had expressed her stand on the issue. The PTI founder reportedly demanded that only Mahmood Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas be allowed to hold negotiations. However, if Aleema claims that no one else has this authority, this could indicate that a different message was received.

The sit-in continued late into the night, causing serious inconvenience to residents of the neighborhood. With the main road closed, commuters were forced to cover long distances on foot.

Late in the night, the SHO of Sadar Bairuni police station reportedly held talks with PTI leaders to persuade them to end the protest and reopen Adiala Road. However, the situation remained tense as negotiations over reopening the road and allowing meetings continued.