Aleema Khan, the sister of PTI founder president Imran Khan. Photo: Express/File
RAWALPINDI:
PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan on Tuesday accused the government of using dialogue as a pressure valve, saying the ruling party only revived talks on negotiations when calls for protests loomed, as she and other members of her family were once again denied permission to meet the incarcerated leader at Adiala jail, triggering a sit-in.
The day, set aside for meetings at Adiala jail where the party leader is still incarcerated, turned into a flashpoint as the sit-in protest paralyzed traffic on Adiala Road for hours.
Imran Khan’s three sisters – Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan – along with PTI leaders, were arrested at several police checkpoints and prevented from heading to the jail.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, party founder Niazullah Niazi’s spokesperson, General Secretary Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Faisal Malik were arrested at Dahgal checkpost and prevented from moving forward.
The sisters, passing through the Chakri Interchange, reached the Gorakhpur checkpoint, where police placed a dumper in front and blocked their vehicle.
Led by Aleema Khan, the sisters and party activists began marching towards the prison on foot.
At the factory check post, police erected iron barricades, completely blocking the Adiala road. Around 3:30 p.m., after repeated denials of access, Aleema Khan announced a sit-in on the main road. Party activists joined the protest, chanting slogans as traffic on the central thoroughfare came to a standstill, forcing commuters to cover long distances on foot until late at night.
Top PTI leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including provincial president Junaid Akbar, Mushtaq Ghani and KP government spokesperson Shafqatullah Jan, arrived at the venue to express solidarity and joined the sit-in.
Speaking to the media, Aleema accused authorities of systematically blocking meetings every Tuesday, alleging that the state had “violated the Constitution and the law” and was holding Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in solitary confinement.
“We will not leave him alone,” she said, adding that those who, in her words, held a “stolen mandate” panicked and rushed to negotiations every time Imran called for protests. She claimed that even the Prime Minister and his aides had started floating the idea of talks, but insisted that the authorities must first explain why meetings with Imran Khan were being blocked.
She questioned why the “country’s most popular leader” was being kept isolated, said the barriers erected on public roads revealed the fear of the authorities and claimed that Imran Khan had already conveyed instructions to KP leaders to prepare for street protests.
Meanwhile, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI Chairman, said that whether through resistance or reconciliation, “a way forward must be opened”, acknowledging the ongoing discussions on possible negotiations between the government and the PTI, while noting that Aleema Khan’s position on the negotiations was already on record.
Speaking to reporters at the Dahgal checkpoint near Adiala prison, lawyer Gohar said it did not appear that meetings would be allowed that day, but stressed that access to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi must be ensured.
He warned that the country’s problems were worsening, said there should be no policy regarding family reunions and demanded that Bushra Bibi’s relatives also be allowed to meet her.
