PTI founder’s sister calls for his immediate release, alleging deteriorating political and economic conditions in the country
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi met in Adiala jail on Tuesday in a 45-minute meeting in the conference room, jail sources said. Both inquired about each other’s well-being during the meeting, which ended after the allotted time expired, they added.
Separately, the PTI founder’s sister Aleema Khan claimed that the authorities were illegally holding the former prime minister in solitary confinement and restricted access to him and demanded his immediate release.
Speaking to the media at the Adiala Road factory check post in Rawalpindi, she claimed that only five meetings had been allowed in the past five months, adding that public anger was mounting over what she described as ill-treatment and injustice.
Aleema said Imran remained the leader of Pakistan’s largest political party, arguing that the country needed his leadership amid mounting political, economic and security challenges.
“He is the only leader who can unite people,” she said, adding that conditions in Pakistan had worsened compared to three years ago. She pointed to the situation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir as evidence of deteriorating stability.
She called for Imran’s release, saying he could help promote national unity and tackle the country’s challenges.
Read also: Aleema Khan dismisses reports of former army chief’s meeting with Imran Khan in Adiala jail
Aleema also condemned the use of force against protesters, saying authorities should not open fire on their own people, adding: “Protest does not mean firing bullets at citizens.”
Referring to developments in the UK, she claimed that attempts were being made to suppress public voices in the region and said that recent events had been seen across the country.
Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Adiala Prison since 2023. They were sentenced on 20 December 2025 to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which relates to allegations that the couple improperly kept a Bulgarian jewelry set gifted by Saudi Arabia to the official crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
Imran’s sons, Kasim and Suleiman, have not been allowed to speak to their father on the phone and claim their visa applications have been deliberately delayed. The two live in the UK with Imran’s ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith.
In February, it was revealed in a report prepared by Barrister Salman Safdar on the direction of the Supreme Court that Imran had informed officials that his right eye was functioning at only 15% capacity. Safdar submitted the report to a two-member bench.
Imran’s sisters, along with the party leadership, hold regular sit-ins outside Adiala prison on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which are the court-appointed days for meetings with Imran, although these visits have largely been suspended in recent months.
