By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Authorities filed charges on Monday against Aleema Khan, sister of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, and several supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party after a violent clash with journalists outside Adiala Jail.
The incident, which left at least two reporters injured, has sparked widespread condemnation from political leaders and media groups, amplifying concerns about press freedom in Pakistan’s polarised political climate.
The confrontation unfolded after a court hearing in the Toshakhana corruption case involving Khan and his jailed faith healer wife, Bushra Bibi.
Aleema Khan, flanked by her sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi and a large group of PTI supporters, emerged to address reporters at Gate-1 of the high-security prison. Tensions flared when a journalist from a private television channel asked Aleema why PTI workers were trolling and threatening him online.
When she did not respond and the question was repeated, the situation escalated.
According to witnesses, PTI leaders and lawyers, including Naeem Haider Panjutha and Sajjad Burki, allegedly incited supporters to intervene. The crowd surged, dragging the journalist by his collar, hurling insults and beating him. A second reporter from another private channel was also shoved to the ground and assaulted. The attackers used abusive language while Aleema Khan stood by, witnesses said.
Tayyab Baloch, a correspondent for a private TV channel, was a primary target. In his police complaint, Baloch described the attack as retaliation for a prior question he posed to Aleema Khan about alleged property purchases in the United States. “During this time, a person named Naeem Panjutha called out: ‘Teach him a lesson for questioning Aleema about properties,’” Baloch said.
He reported that 35 to 40 individuals grabbed him, threw him down and beat him. “Some unknown person snatched my mobile phone from me and also broke my microphone,” Baloch added. Other journalists attempting to intervene were also attacked. “We barely escaped them after much pleading,” he said, noting that Aleema Khan’s supporters had previously posted his photos online, spreading rumors after his earlier question made her uncomfortable. “Today, as per the pre-arranged plan, they attacked me, beat me up, forcibly snatched my mobile and threatened to kill me, along with breaking my microphone.”
Police intervened, arresting two PTI workers at the scene, though most suspects fled. The two affected reporters filed a request at the Adiala Jail police checkpoint to register a case against the assailants. By evening, Rawalpindi police had lodged a first information report (FIR) at Saddar Bairooni Police Station under Sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 382 (theft with intent to cause harm), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIR named Aleema Khan, Panjutha, Intisar Satti and others, with Baloch urging legal action against all involved. Additional police were deployed to apprehend the remaining suspects.
Journalists boycotted Aleema Khan’s media session in protest, and the media community swiftly condemned the attack as an assault on press freedom. “Asking questions from Aleema Khan cannot and should not be treated as a crime,” media professionals said, demanding protections for reporters doing their jobs.
Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili called the incident “unfortunate and condemnable,” warning that “this new trend will not end unless political parties actively discourage it. We must remember that politics and journalism rise & fall together.”
The violence drew sharp rebukes from political figures. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Baloch was targeted “solely and only because of a difference of opinion, which is unacceptable,” pledging strict action and full support.
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari denounced the attack as an affront to press freedom and democracy, calling such violence “intolerable and dangerous.” He stressed that free expression is vital to democracy and reaffirmed his party’s commitment to protecting journalists.
Panjutha dismissed the FIR as a “fake case” against him and Aleema Khan. PTI has not issued an official statement on the matter.
The clash follows another disruptive episode outside Adiala Jail on Sept. 5, when Aleema Khan was pelted with eggs during a media interaction, highlighting the fraught atmosphere surrounding Imran Khan’s legal battles.
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