Alleges police resorted to violence against peaceful assembly, dragged her elder sister and assaulted PTI ministers
Sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan, Dr. Uzma Khan (left), Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan address a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. — Photo: SABAH
Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, accused police of sparking a violent attack outside Adiala jail, claiming her older sister was dragged on the road and female lawyers were pushed into police vans as officers ended a 10-hour sit-in late on Tuesday night.
She spoke at a press conference together with Dr. Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan as well as PTI leaders and said she was compelled to speak due to the conditions under which the PTI founder is being held. She alleged that Khan has been put in solitary confinement while they peacefully demanded their right to meet him.
Aleema said their protests have never caused any harm, yet they are repeatedly denied permission to see their brother. She alleged that even last week, her sister, a doctor, was detained for several hours and police officers posted at the spot misbehaved with them.
Recounting Tuesday’s events, she said the family had informed authorities they would not end their sit-in if denied a meeting. “We were not more than 20 to 25 people sitting on a footpath about half a kilometer from Adiala and a few journalists were also present,” she said.
Read more: Rawalpindi police take Imran Khan’s sisters into custody after 10-hour sit-in outside Adiala jail
She alleged that the police first targeted and dispersed journalists and then moved against PTI’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ministers Mina Khan, Shahid Khattak, Shafqat and Abdus Salam. “We asked them to leave because the lights had been turned off and we thought an attack was imminent. We kept urging them to leave but they refused,” she said. Aleema alleged that the ministers were beaten and questioned whether this reflected Punjab Police protocol.
She further claimed that female police officers – whom she referred to as “female Gullu Butts” – were called and one officer, identified as Gulnaz, instructed others to “beat them up.” She added that her 71-year-old sister, Noreen, was thrown to the ground and dragged, and that the sanctity of women’s veils was violated when 17 female lawyers were placed in a police van and dragged by the hair.
During the press conference, Uzma said that Imran had sent a message urging the nation to prepare mentally. “The time has come: either freedom or death. Yesterday we actually saw that there is now no other choice,” she said. She claimed that the PTI founder had been in solitary confinement for two weeks and their request to meet him was rejected. “If you want to beat us, beat us. If you want to imprison us, do it. But we won’t trust anyone on the founder’s case,” she added.
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Noreen said her son is incarcerated and said “a system of oppression” is in place. She also claimed that the police pulled her hair and questioned the intentions of those in power. She further claimed that the authorities want Imran removed because he has refused to accept Israel, while he claimed that May 9 and November 26 were “planned events” and promised that they would not forget the injustices.
Aleema added that they would continue to sit outside the Adiala jail and would not leave their brother. “If you want to kill us, we are ready to die. We do not accept slavery. This is not occupied Pakistan – every Pakistani has a right to this country and we will name those who commit injustice,” she concluded.
KP Provincial Minister Mina Khan Afridi said meetings with the PTI founder had been stopped after putting him in solitary confinement. Recalling the incident, he claimed that women and elected officials were assaulted with water cannons during the cold night outside Adiala prison despite court orders.
Read more: Achakzai assures that Imran will not act against anyone if the rule of law is restored
Afridi said that even in war, women are not targeted, but a local SHO allegedly raised his hand against them. She warned the authorities that the PTI would not compromise: “If you block meetings with the founder, we will come again and expose your face to the world.”
Another PTI leader and a member of the National Assembly, Shahid Khattak, alleged that during their peaceful protest, the police pushed and abused them. He said they feared for their founder and the alleged authorities intended to move him from Adiala to Balochistan while keeping him in solitary confinement.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also addressed the press and condemned the alleged violence, calling it “a dark day”. He said no culture, religion or law allows such treatment and questioned what crime the PTI founder had committed. He called for nationwide protests on Friday and urged people to wear black armbands.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja urged the authorities to “come to their senses” and said the PTI founder has the right to meet his sisters. He called for the protection of freedom of speech, journalists, conscience and the judiciary, adding that “God’s justice is silent but sure.”
