By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi joined a sit-in on Tuesday alongside the sisters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan outside Adiala jail, as authorities enforced a sweeping ban on public gatherings and deployed heavy security forces to prevent any escalation.
The protest came as Khan, the founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, reached the milestone of 1,000 days in custody. He has been held at the high-security facility since August 2023. Jail officials have repeatedly turned down requests from his family members and senior PTI leaders to meet him.
Party officials have grown increasingly vocal about the health of both Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, who recently underwent eye procedures. PTI leaders have demanded that the couple be transferred immediately to a hospital for full diagnostic testing and treatment under the supervision of physicians chosen by the family.
The sit-in unfolded on what was supposed to be a scheduled family visiting day at Adiala jail. But authorities in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had already imposed Section 144, a colonial-era regulation that prohibits public assemblies. The restrictions were tightened further after the Rawalpindi district administration issued a formal notification Monday night, declaring Adiala Jail and surrounding areas a “red zone” for 15 days.
Afridi arrived at the Factory check post on Adiala Road with official protocol and took his place with the demonstrators. Khan’s sisters, including Aleema Khan, have been camped there for days. Several prominent PTI figures stood with them, among them senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja, Shahid Khattak, Naeem Haider Panjutha and Niazullah Niazi, along with rank-and-file party workers.
Police responded by completely sealing Adiala Road with metal barriers and stationing large contingents of officers at multiple points around the jail and adjacent neighborhoods. The Islamabad administration separately reiterated that Section 144 remained in force across the federal capital and warned that any attempt to hold a public gathering would be treated as a violation of the law, subject to strict legal action.
In a post on X, Aleema Khan described her brother and Bushra Bibi as “illegally imprisoned” and said they were enduring “systematic psychological and physical torture through unlawful isolation.” She said the party’s immediate demand was to move Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for comprehensive medical examinations and proper treatment of his eye condition. Aleema Khan added that Chief Minister Afridi, the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly and Senate would participate in the sit-in in solidarity. She urged PTI supporters to stay away from Adiala Road to avoid the risk of arrest.
Khan, 73, was ousted from power in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Since then he has faced dozens of legal cases, many of which he and his party have denounced as politically motivated attempts to sideline him. The charges include allegations involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage case involving Bushra Bibi. While some convictions have been suspended or overturned on appeal, several cases remain pending before higher courts. Khan has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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