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Aleema, PTI workers stage sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka after being stopped from reaching Adiala jail to meet Imran

PTI founder Imran Khan‘s sister Aleema Khan and PTI workers staged a sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka on Tuesday as they were barred from moving towards Adiala Jail in a bid to meet the incarcerated ex-premier.

Over the past several weeks, the PTI founder has been denied meetings in prison with his family, party members and lawyers, prompting them to stage sit-ins near or outside the prison complex every Tuesday and Thursday — the court-mandated days for visiting Imran.

At times, police also used water cannons and baton charges to disperse them.

As they again gathered near the prison complex today, Aleema said that Imran was being kept in “solitary confinement”, stressing that the “government had become so fearful of Imran’s message that they had resorted to breaking the law” — in a reference to the police presence at the scene.

Aleema’s video statement was posted on PTI’s X account, in which she was standing in front of a riot fence. Police could also be seen in riot gear behind the fence.

A Dawn correspondent confirmed that police had installed a riot fence near the Factory Naka in Rawalpindi, and upon reaching the spot, Imran’s sister, along with party workers, staged a sit-in.

Speaking to reporters, Aleema said that the authorities are afraid of Imran, which is why they have jailed him.

When asked about the statement issued after the TTAP’s two-day conference, she said it “was not a statement”.

“The PTI people are saying that they want to negotiate (with the government), I responded by saying that Imran Khan has instructed Sohail Afridi to take to the streets and lead a movement,” she said.

She added that this last message came from lawyer Salman Safdar, who represented the PTI founder when he was convicted in the Toshakhana 2 case on Saturday.

“Whoever says that we should negotiate with the government after Imran gave these instructions, they cannot be a member of Imran Khan’s party,” Aleema stated.

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at the Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Bushra Bibi is also serving a seven-year sentence in £190 million corruption case.

Over the past several weeks, the PTI founder has been denied meetings in prison with his family, prompting his sisters and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to stage sit-ins near or outside the prison complex. These have sometimes been dispersed by police using water cannons and baton charges.

As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked, Imran’s family and party have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. A United Nations’ special rapporteur has also warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment.

On Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that meetings with incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would remain suspended till February 8.

Additional reporting by Tahir Naseer

More to follow.



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