Pakistan registers case against Khan’s sisters, party activists over jail protest

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday filed a case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sisters and several party activists following a sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where Khan is serving a prison sentence.

Police said 14 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists arrested at the protest were presented before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), which granted three days of physical remand and returned the detainees to police custody for further investigation.

The case, lodged at Rawalpindi’s Saddar Bairuni Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act, lists charges including assault on police using petrol bombs, violating Section 144 prohibiting public gatherings, and criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B. Authorities said a total of 35 named individuals and around 400 unidentified participants were implicated in connection with the demonstration.

Senior PTI leaders named in the case include Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, Noreen Niazi, Salman Akram Raja, Aliya Hamza alongside other party figures. Police said further investigations are ongoing.

The sit-in, staged a day earlier at Factory Naka, sought to secure a court-mandated meeting with Khan. Law enforcement officials dispersed the protest using water cannons and baton charges, citing previous warnings that assemblies outside the jail would be met with “strict action.”

Imran Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence in a $190 million corruption case and faces multiple ongoing trials, including under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to May 9, 2023, protests.

The PTI condemned the arrests and the police response.

In a statement, the party criticized authorities for deploying water cannons and using force against women, senior citizens, and non-violent protesters, describing the actions as “political victimization” and an attempt to intimidate party members.