We are sitting here peacefully. If they deny us a meeting today, we will stay here, says Aleema Khan
PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters sit outside Adiala Jail after being denied a meeting on Tuesday. Photo: X/PTI
Imran Khan’s sisters staged a sit-in outside Adiala Jail after they were denied a meeting with the PTI founder, while Aleema Khan said the family was left with no option but to protest after they were repeatedly prevented from meeting him.
“We are not doing anything illegal or unconstitutional. If we are stopped like this every week, what choice do we have other than protesting?” he 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 scheduled family meeting. However, despite Tuesday being designated for visits by family and lawyers, prison authorities informed Aleema Khan and senior PTI leaders around 4 pm that the meeting would not be facilitated.
Warning that the family would not disperse if the meeting was denied, Aleema Khan said: “If they don’t allow the meeting, then don’t do it. We are sitting here peacefully. Today, we have even brought blankets with us.”
Read: Negotiations underway as PTI sit-in outside Adiala jail continues
Security in and around Adiala Jail was significantly beefed up, with additional police contingents deployed, water cannons stationed at gate number 5 and barricades erected at multiple entry points, including Gorakhpur and the factory check post. Markets in surrounding areas were closed, gasoline pumps were closed, and public and private schools were given a day off. PTI workers also started arriving near the jail amid heightened security.
Aleema Khan said the PTI founder’s demands were limited to constitutional principles. “The founder’s demand is the restoration of the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law,” he said, adding that Imran Khan had been imprisoned for more than two and a half years.
Questioning the repeated denial of meetings, he asked why the PTI founder’s family was not allowed to meet him in accordance with the law. “The government should tell us why the PTI founder’s family is not allowed to meet him,” he said.
Turning to broader issues, Aleema Khan said the closure of Afghan trade had left many people jobless, while the judiciary had been stripped of its constitutional independence. “Conditions in Pakistan are going from bad to worse,” he said.
Read more: Aleema warns that silence will not forgive anyone
He also questioned restrictions placed on conversations during jail 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,” he said.
Noreen Niazi, speaking on the occasion, rejected 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 as a terrorist force,” he said.
Salman Akram Raja calls for broader solidarity
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, speaking to the media at the factory check post, said expressing solidarity with Imran Khan’s sisters was not limited to legislators alone.
“Coming here is not just the task of parliamentarians. Everyone who believes in democracy and the supremacy of the law should be here,” he said.
He called restrictions on conversation during jail meetings illegal, saying no law allowed for the silencing of an individual. “How can anyone tell a human being what they are allowed to talk about?” asked.
Raja also addressed the deteriorating security situation, calling the APS tragedy deeply painful and warning that terrorism was once again on the rise. He added that the promises made to the people after the merger of the tribal areas have not been fulfilled.
He claimed that the clause prohibiting political discussion in the prison rules was introduced during the era of General Zia-ul-Haq and argued that it violated fundamental rights.
The situation remained tense up to the filing of this report, with a heavy police presence and ongoing protests near Adiala Jail.
