The charges include attempted murder, resisting police and creating disorder during the riot on Adiala Road.
Screenshot of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Naureen Khan during a media talk outside Adiala Jail on Monday.
RAWALPINDI:
The Rawalpindi police on Wednesday registered a case under anti-terror provisions against Imran Khan’s sisters, several members of the national and provincial assemblies and around 1,400 unidentified people following the riots on Adiala Road on Tuesday night.
According to the police, the FIR was lodged on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Imran Khan, in-charge of Adiala check post, and includes charges of attempt to murder and resisting law enforcement.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had called for a “peaceful protest” against restrictions on meetings with its founder. However, authorities imposed Section 144 across the district, banning public gatherings for 15 days.
Despite the restrictions and persistent rain in the twin cities, a large number of PTI leaders and supporters tried to reach the jail premises but were intercepted at multiple points by law enforcement officials.
Read more: Khosa expresses concern over Imran’s health
Police said several people were named in the FIR, including Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi. Other nominees include MNA Shahid Khattak, MPA Meena Khan, MNA Shafqat Awan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Shafee Jan.
According to the complaint, protesters threw rocks at police, injuring nine staff members. Police said 41 suspects were detained at the scene but later escaped, while several others also fled. Authorities added that 13 vehicles belonging to those who escaped were seized. Police said gasoline, glass bottles, cotton, matches and other materials were recovered from the vehicles.
The FIR claimed that both government and private vehicles were damaged during the riots due to stone pelting and use of sticks. The police alleged that the accused tried to create disorder for political purposes to put pressure on the Punjab government.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders condemned the police action. Central Committee member Seemabia Tahir Satti said the group, including Imran Khan’s sisters, was detained near DHA Chowk. “Law enforcement had already cleared a hotel in the vicinity. They arrested Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan along with several workers and locked the hotel after detaining them,” he said.
Also read: Government cites past agreements as NA debates fuel costs
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also criticized the operation, alleging that party leaders and workers were detained and forcibly subdued. He claimed that protesters faced heavy shelling and baton charges, while routes leading to Adiala jail were sealed.
According to him, several party members traveling from different areas were detained at highway rest points, including Kallar Kahar and Chakri, where arrests were also carried out. He added that at least five members of the Punjab Assembly, including opposition leader Moeen Qureshi, were detained.
Special security measures had been put in place in Rawalpindi ahead of the protest related to the planned meetings with Imran. The PTI also announced a protest for April 9, four years after the party was removed from power through a no-confidence motion.
Imran has been detained since August 2023 and is serving time in Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending lawsuits under the Anti-Terrorism Law in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
The PTI has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court claimed that vision in his right eye had decreased to 15 per cent. However, government officials maintain that he is receiving adequate medical care.
