Imran Khan’s Sisters, PTI Workers Stage Sit-In Near Adiala Jail After Meeting Denial

RAWALPINDI - Frustration boiled over outside Adiala jail on Tuesday as PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema, Uzma, and Noreen Khan Niazi, joined party workers in a sit-in after authorities again denied them access to the former prime minister.

The protest, held at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka, a few kilometers from the jail, marks yet another Tuesday demonstration. PTI supporters have routinely gathered at the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays in defiance of restrictions that have kept them from seeing Khan for weeks.

The Islamabad High Court had ruled in March 2025 that family members could meet Khan twice weekly. But despite this court order, Aleema and her sisters, alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, were blocked by heavy police deployment. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI chairman, was stopped at Dahgal Naka, while Secretary General Salman Akram Raja reported being halted at multiple checkpoints en route to the jail. (Dawn)

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) around 8pm, Aleema accused authorities of fearing even their peaceful Quran recitation, saying, “We had to recite and finish the Quran here, but they are afraid of it… what kind of people are they?”

Earlier, she called on PTI supporters to join for a Khatam-i-Quran outside the jail, asserting, “We will sit here. The oppressors are afraid.” Aleema questioned the continued solitary confinement of her brother, asking, “Why have they arrested him? Why are they denying meetings with him?”

Slogans in support of Khan echoed across Factory Naka as the protesters held their ground. Aleema described the movement as “new politics,” praising Pakistan’s youth for rejecting traditional political norms and calling Chief Minister Afridi “the future of Pakistan.”

While Khan himself lacks internet access in jail, PTI continues to share messages attributed to him via X, reportedly following meetings with family and associates. The sit-in ended without a breakthrough, highlighting the ongoing stand-off between authorities and the PTI leadership.