ISLAMABAD:
Aleema Khan, sister of the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, slammed the party leadership and warned that anyone who could not carry Imran Khan’s narrative should step aside.
Speaking outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Aleema Khan issued a stern warning to the party leadership, asking them not to issue any statement regarding the founder’s health without the family’s permission.
Imran Khan developed an eye condition while in Adiala Jail. The prison authorities took him twice to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment. However, the PTI insists that the treatment must be carried out in the presence of their family and personal doctors.
“The party leadership seems relaxed, as if Imran Khan’s treatment is over,” Aleema Khan told reporters. “Those who cannot bear the weight of Imran Khan’s narrative should step aside,” he warned.
He alleged that the government doctors who treated Imran Khan were under pressure. He also criticized Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s comments on Imran’s treatment, saying the PTI was unable to counter Naqvi’s statements.
“The information that reached the family through Naqvi should have been conveyed through PTI president Advocate Gohar Ali Khan,” he said. He added that communication within the party should not be carried out solely through internal channels. He promised to present messages publicly.
Referring to the court proceedings involving the PTI founder, he questioned why the party’s lawyers did not ensure court hearings in those cases. He said relatives were willing to stay in court for long hours and criticized delays in docketing.
Party sources indicated growing differences within the PTI over future protest strategies. Divisions are reportedly emerging between the leaders of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the planned agitations for the release of Imran Khan.
PTI Punjab leaders are said to have expressed reservations over the KP leaders’ statements on forming a so-called ‘liberation force’. Sources claimed that replacing dialogue with force-based plans could increase hardship for workers in Punjab.
Senior party figures, apparently operating underground, warned that announcing such a force could undermine the sacrifices of imprisoned and underground leaders. Some sources also questioned how the party would ensure protest campaigns remain violence-free.
