PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, is continuing a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail after she was again denied a meeting with her incarcerated brother on Tuesday.
Earlier tonight, Islamabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) (Investigations) Rana Tanveer arrived at the scene to negotiate with Aleema and her sisters to disperse the protesters.
However, negotiations between the police and the party supporters failed, with the PTI adamant on continuing the sit-in. They are expected to continue the demonstration overnight.
A livestream by the PTI from earlier this evening showed a massive crowd sloganeering, with riot police present in the area.
Aleema and her sisters — Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan — were stopped at Factory Naka by police, upon which PTI supporters started sloganeering and staged a sit-in. Majlis Wahdaat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also joined the demonstration.
At Factory Naka, Aleema told reporters that she would stay at the sit-in site until she was allowed to meet Imran and questioned the presence of a large number of police personnel.
“At this time, it is the law of the jungle; they (authorities) should be concerned that if they do not proceed according to the constitution and law, Pakistan will face the law of the jungle.”
Aleema also condemned the treatment of her and her sisters last week, calling female police personnel “shameless”.
“These policewomen think that they will make the [Punjab Chief Minister] Maryam Nawaz happy and get promotions by doing this,” she said. “If they want to arrest us, we are not afraid.
Meanwhile, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh uploaded a video on X showing the party’s Karachi General Secretary Arslan Khalid at the protest.
“The police are doing the same thing again,” he said, referring to the use of force to disperse the protesters.
“Our brothers and sisters are safe and the PTI’s workers are here to protect them,” he added. “Our demand is the release of Imran Khan.”
Earlier today, Aleema told a reporter that she had a legal right to visit her brother in prison.
“We come here legally, as is our legal and constitutional right,” she said. “If we are attacked, it is unconstitutional. As Imran Khan said, the rule of law is being buried.”
Last week, the party said that police manhandled and “violently detained” Imran’s sisters from outside Adiala Jail, where they were camped out after being denied a weekly meeting with the party founder.
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