Tensions in Adiala rise again as Imran Khan’s sisters stage fresh sit-in outside jail

Sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan staged a fresh protest outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday after they were denied permission to meet him, prompting authorities to deploy additional police contingents.

According Express NewsNoreen Khan, Aleema Khan and Dr Uzma, along with other party leaders, arrived for a scheduled family meeting but were stopped by the police at the Factory Naka check post.

When the official meeting hours expired, both family members and lawyers were again denied entry, prompting a sit-in led by Aleema. He demanded that Imran Khan be examined by his personal doctors instead of government-appointed medical personnel.

Aleema claimed that the protest was not directed at the police, whom she described as “our brothers”, and claimed that the officers themselves were under pressure. He added that family meetings with Imran Khan had been suspended for weeks, alleging that the former prime minister was being subjected to “mental torture”. He questioned what constituted a “political discussion” and criticized the decision to keep him in solitary confinement. Furthermore, he urged journalists to ask responsible questions.

At the Dahgal checkpoint, PTI president Advocate Gohar Ali Khan said meeting the party founder was his legal right. He noted that the Islamabad High Court had ordered that family members and lawyers be allowed access, but they were still being denied access. Political disagreements, he said, should not turn into hostility. He added that the situation would improve once meetings with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi resumed.

Gohar further said that the Speaker of the National Assembly had also supported the resumption of meetings and that Imran Khan had authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir to lead the political dialogue. He stressed that confrontational language needed to end.

As the protest gained momentum, police reinforced their presence at the Factory Naka checkpoint. The officers were instructed to move to the scene, while the street lights on Adiala Road, near the sit-in, were turned off.

Prison vans and vehicles with water cannons were introduced as a precautionary measure. Authorities said they were evaluating options to disperse the crowd if necessary. The administration maintained that necessary measures would be taken to maintain law and order as the number of participants continued to grow.

This development comes as Information Minister Ataullah Tarar ruled out meetings between PTI leaders and Imran Khan’s family last week, accusing Dr Uzma of foul play. He said, “Gatherings have been suspended,” while warning that anyone trying to create public order disturbances outside the jail would face FIR and strict legal action. “The gloves have been taken off,” he added.

High security measures

The protest came after a day of heightened security around Adiala Jail, where shopping malls and educational institutions from Gorakhpur to Dahgal check post remained closed. A two-shift special security plan was issued, with over 1,200 police officers deployed, including SHOs of 20 police stations, eight DSPs and two SPs.

Forty-eight women commandos, six inspectors and teams of RMP Force, Punjab Police, Dolphin Squad and Elite Force were also stationed in the area. SP Saddar Anum Sher supervised the security operation while Tariq Malik of SSP Operations inspected the arrangements at the spot.

Earlier, a five-member medical team from PIMS Hospital conducted a complete medical examination of the PTI founder at the request of the prison authorities. The team consisted of general practitioner Dr Ali Arif, general surgeon Dr Tariq Abdullah, pathology specialist Dr Saman Waqar, dermatologist Dr Mubashir and laboratory technician Nauman Iqbal.