By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Police deployed water cannons early on Wednesday to break up a sit-in by supporters of the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan outside Adiala jail, where his family and party members have been repeatedly denied court-ordered meetings, escalating tensions over what his party calls a blatant disregard for judicial authority.
The protesters, including Khan’s three sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi — along with workers from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party had gathered at Factory Naka near the prison on Tuesday, demanding compliance with an Islamabad High Court order from March 24 allowing meetings with Khan twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The party insists the directive is being ignored, marking the second consecutive week that demonstrators faced forceful dispersal.
Police began their operation at 2 am, first using water cannon vehicles and then baton-charging those who lingered. Some party workers were arrested, though the exact number remained unconfirmed. Videos posted by the PTI on the social media platform X captured the scene: one showed a water cannon spraying what appeared to be protesters as police stood by; another depicted a drenched demonstrator complaining that his “chest was burning” and his eyes were affected.
In a separate clip, Aleema Khan examined her hands and said, “They used a chemical, it is [burning] so much.” Naeem Panjutha, a party lawyer, posted on X that “poisonous, chemical-laced water was used,” adding, “I myself fell; many workers fell; several were also arrested.”
The PTI’s central information department condemned the action in a 4 am post on X, stating it rejected “in the harshest possible terms” the flouting of the court order and the “extreme state brutality” outside the jail. “These actions are not merely administrative failures; they constitute a direct assault on the Constitution, the rule of law, and the authority of the judiciary,” the statement said, describing the defiance as “official government policy.”
It accused the Punjab police, acting “at the behest of the government,” of crossing “all limits of oppression” by assaulting Khan’s sisters, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, other party leaders, workers and peaceful participants with allegedly chemical-infused water. “There was no emergency situation, no legal justification, and no provocation whatsoever,” the party added. “Despite this, women, elderly individuals, and peaceful protesters were subjected to chemical-infused water, physical violence, and the forcible arrest of multiple workers. This represents a textbook case of fascism, police brutality, and political victimisation at its worst.”
The statement portrayed the crackdown as evidence of a “deeply frightened government,” reflecting “panic, insecurity, and moral bankruptcy.” It warned that “oppression, repression, and fascism cannot last forever,” invoking history’s judgment on tyranny and promising accountability for those responsible.
Allama Raja Nasir, who stayed at the protest until late Tuesday, decried the “inhuman treatment” of the demonstrators. During the sit-in, some protesters scrawled pro-PTI messages on walls near petrol pumps and other structures, including the number “804,” reported to be Khan’s prisoner number.
On Tuesday, as the sisters marched toward the prison before being halted, Aleema Khan told reporters, “We will sit wherever we are stopped.” Prepared for a prolonged demonstration, she displayed warm clothes and a blanket, noting this routine unfolded every Tuesday at the site without illegal or unconstitutional acts. “We have no other option left besides protesting,” she said. “Our founder’s demand is the restoration of the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law.”
Khan, held since August 2023, serves a sentence in a £190 million corruption case and faces trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act tied to May 9, 2023, protests. The party has voiced ongoing worries about his and his wife’s health. But after her December 2 meeting, Uzma Khan told media: “Imran Khan’s health is perfectly fine. However, he was very angry and said that they are subjecting him to mental torture.” She described his daily cell confinement with brief outdoor time, no communication and a 30-minute visit. Last Friday, a United Nations special rapporteur warned Khan’s conditions might constitute inhuman or degrading treatment, urging compliance with international standards.
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