Imran Khan’s sisters stage sit-in again after being denied prison meeting

The sisters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan were again denied permission on Tuesday to meet the former prime minister in Adiala jail, leading to a protest sit-in that led to the blockade of parts of Adiala Road.

The week-long protest followed the jail authorities’ refusal to allow meetings between the PTI founder and his sisters – Aleema Khan, Dr. Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan – as well as party leaders and other family members. The sisters were also scheduled to meet Bushra Bibi.

The sisters reached the area via the Chakri interchange of the highway and arrived at the Gorakhpur check post where police deployed in large numbers stopped their vehicle and blocked the road by placing a dump truck. Led by Aleema Khan, the sisters and PTI workers proceeded on foot towards the Adiala Jail.

At the factory’s check post on Adiala Road, police erected iron barricades and blocked the road completely, preventing further movement. Around 3.30 pm, Aleema announced a sit-in at Adiala Road over the denial of permission to meet the PTI founder. Party workers participated in the protest and shouted slogans while sitting on the road.

Senior PTI leaders from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including provincial president Junaid Akbar, Mushtaq Ghani and KP government spokesperson Shafiullah Jan, arrived at the venue and joined the sit-in to express solidarity.

Addressing the media, Aleema said that every Tuesday they were stopped from meeting the PTI founder, alleging that the authorities were afraid of him and violated the constitution and the law. She claimed that both the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi were kept in solitary confinement and subjected to mental torture.

She pointed to the barricades and questioned why officials could not explain the reason for his isolation, despite being the country’s most popular leader.

Aleema further said that the PTI founder had already conveyed a message to prepare for protests, adding that when such a message was issued, anyone talking about negotiations would not represent the party. She claimed that whenever the PTI founder called for protests, those who had what she described as a “stolen mandate” immediately started talking about negotiations.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the government to comply with court orders regarding jail rallies.

Speaking to the media near the Dahgal checkpoint close to the Adiala jail, Barrister Gohar said it did not seem likely that meetings would be allowed that day, but stressed that they should take place. He said the country’s problems were increasing and the public should be informed about the PTI founder’s health, adding that politics should not be played over family visits.

He also said that Bushra Bibi’s family should be allowed to meet her and criticized the decision to block prison meetings, warning that such actions were pushing the situation towards greater hostility. He urged the government to comply with court orders regarding prison meetings.

He said discussions between the government and the PTI are reportedly underway, with Aleema expressing her position on the matter. The PTI founder has reportedly mandated that only Mahmood Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas are authorized to conduct negotiations. However, if Aleema maintains that no one else has this authority, it may indicate that a different message has been received.

The sit-in continued late into the night, causing serious inconvenience to the residents of the area. With the main road closed, commuters were forced to walk long distances.

Late in the evening, the SHO of Sadar Bairuni police station reportedly held talks with the PTI leadership to persuade them to end the protest and reopen Adiala Road. However, the situation remained tense as negotiations to reopen the road and allow meetings continued.