No meeting with Imran sparks sit-in at Adiala

RAWALPINDI:

A scheduled family and legal meeting with former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Tuesday ended without any visitation, triggering a prolonged protest sit-in outside the prison by his sisters and senior party leaders, as authorities locked down the area under sweeping security measures.

As tensions simmered outside Adiala Jail, senior party leaders stepped up pressure on the authorities, warning that continued restrictions were deepening political fault lines and fuelling public anger.

Despite Tuesday (December 9) being designated as a family, lawyers' and relatives' meeting day at Adiala Jail, no one was allowed to meet Imran Khan.

According to party sources, the meeting window runs from 2pm to around 4-4:30pm. However, at exactly 4pm, Aleema Khan and members of the PTI's central leadership were informed that there would be no meeting today.

Moreover, the officials also declined to give any assurance that a meeting would be allowed on Thursday, December 11.

Later, Imran Khan's three sisters - Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan and Dr Uzma Khan — staged a protest sit-in outside Adiala Jail. They were soon joined by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Rehana Dar, Aamer Dogar and Senator Aon Abbas Buppi.

Several MNAs and party leaders, including Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak, Meena Khan, Farrukh Sial, Niazullah Khan Niazi and Naeem Panjutha, also joined.

The sit-in continued late into the night amid periodic chants by party workers.

The jail and surrounding areas were placed under a complete lockdown. Roads leading to Adiala Jail were sealed for nearly four kilometres on both sides, with markets, petrol pumps and schools shut in nearby localities.

Police also quietly took possession of vehicles parked by party leaders and workers at some distance from the jail and shifted them to a Bahria Town police picket, sparking fresh tensions at the site.

Addressing protesters, Aleema Khan said there was no confrontation with the police. "The police are our brothers and they are treating us well," she said, urging workers to remain behind as women were present at the protest.

She added that police personnel themselves appeared uneasy and stressed that meetings with Imran Khan had not been allowed for a long time. "He is being subjected to mental torture," she said, adding that the former premier "remains resolute".

Aleema Khan said her sister had not engaged in any political discussion during the previous meeting, arguing that speaking about government employees could not be termed political activity.

Questioning the repeated justification for restricting access, she asked, "How is the PTI founder a national security threat? Give us just one example."

She also questioned under whose orders Imran Khan was being kept in solitary confinement. "We have been coming here for over a month just to seek meetings," she said, adding that criticism of an institution or its head did not constitute a national security threat.

She urged journalists to "think carefully" about how they framed the issue, warning that she would otherwise refrain from speaking.