We are sitting here peacefully. If we are denied a meeting today, we will stay here, says Aleema Khan
Sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan sit outside Adiala jail after they were denied a meeting on Tuesday. Photo: X/PTI
Imran Khan’s sisters staged a sit-in outside Adiala jail after being denied a meeting with the PTI founder, while Aleema Khan said the family had no choice but to protest after being repeatedly prevented from meeting him.
“We are not doing anything illegal or unconstitutional. If we are stopped like this every week, what other option do we have but to protest?” she said while speaking to the media near the factory checkpoint.
PTI founder Aleema Khan’s sisters Noreen Khan and Dr Uzma Khan, along with senior party leaders, arrived near Adiala jail for a planned family meeting. However, although Tuesday was designated for visits by families and lawyers, prison authorities informed Aleema Khan and senior PTI leaders around 4 p.m. that the meeting would not be facilitated.
Warning that the family would not disperse if the reunion was denied, Aleema Khan said: “If they don’t allow the reunion, then don’t do it. We are sitting here peacefully. Today we even brought blankets with us.”
Read: Negotiations underway as PTI sit-in continues outside Adiala jail
Security in and around Adiala Prison has been significantly beefed up, with the deployment of additional police contingents, water cannons stationed at Gate No. 5 and barricades erected at several entry points, including Gorakhpur and the factory check post. Nearby markets were closed, fuel pumps closed, and public and private schools were closed. PTI workers have also started arriving near the jail amid tight security.
Aleema Khan said the PTI founder’s demands were limited to constitutional principles. “The founder’s demand is restoration of the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law,” she said, adding that Imran Khan had been incarcerated for over two and a half years.
Questioning repeated denials of meetings, she asked why the PTI founder’s family was not allowed to meet him as per the law. “The government should explain to us why the family of the PTI founder is not allowed to meet him,” she said.
Touching on broader issues, Aleema Khan said the closure of Afghan trade had put many people out of work, while the judiciary had lost its constitutional independence. “Conditions in Pakistan are going from bad to worse,” she said.
Learn more: Aleema warns that silence will spare no one
She also questioned restrictions on conversations during prison meetings. “If there was a discussion about the army chief, what is the problem? The government should explain what political discussion my sister allegedly had in the previous meeting,” she said.
Noreen Niazi, speaking on the occasion, rejected the allegations of violence and criticized the police action. “We are not terrorists. PTI is a peaceful party. Water cannons were used against us and people were injured. Punjab Police is acting like a terrorist force,” she said.
Salman Akram Raja calls for greater solidarity
Senior PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, speaking to the media at the factory check post, said the expression of solidarity with Imran Khan’s sisters was not limited to lawmakers alone.
“Coming here is not just the job of parliamentarians. Everyone who believes in democracy and the supremacy of law should be here,” he said.
He called restrictions on conversations during prison meetings illegal, saying there was no law authorizing the silencing of an individual. “How can you tell a human being what they are allowed to talk about? he asked.
Raja also addressed the deteriorating security situation, calling the APS tragedy deeply painful and warning that terrorism was on the rise again. He added that the promises made to the people following the merger of the tribal areas had not been kept.
He claimed that the clause prohibiting political discussions in prison regulations was introduced during the era of General Zia-ul-Haq and maintained that it violated fundamental rights.
The situation remained tense until the filing of this report, with a heavy police presence and continued protests near Adiala prison.
