Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan meets sisters in jail after seven weeks

Pakistan's incarnated former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, met two of his sisters, Dr. Uzma and Naureen Niazi, on Tuesday, after a gap of seven weeks, at Adiala Jail. However, authorities did not allow his third sister, Aleema Khan, to meet him, a move that drew sharp criticism from Khan's family and political allies.

Following the visit, the three sisters held a press conference outside the prison. Aleema Khan told reporters that her sisters conveyed to Khan concerns over certain lawyers who were not on the party’s approved list. “They meet Khan and then misreport his instructions to the media,” she said.

Aleema also said her brother was surprised to hear that vloggers were praised on his official account.

“Khan replied that he never made such statements,” she said. “He doesn’t engage in personal praise of individuals; he talks about national issues. We must stop the misuse of his personal social media accounts.”

She added that Imran Khan made it clear that the Mines and Minerals Bill must not be presented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly until he is released and reviews it himself.

Khan also questioned why KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had not visited him in jail. “Even Nawaz Sharif’s entire cabinet used to visit him when he was imprisoned,” Aleema quoted him as saying.

Imran Khan, who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, instructed that no PTI member of parliament should attend Apex committee meetings without his approval. “I will give policy directions to the party,” he told the sisters.

According to Aleema, Khan directed PTI KP President Junaid Akbar to focus on launching a protest movement from KP due to growing public unrest.

He also instructed the party to begin daily protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan and to start filing petitions and attending election tribunal hearings to contest what he calls “rigged election results.”

Addressing speculation about a possible deal, Khan reportedly told his sisters, “I am not doing any deal with anyone. These rumors are being spread by those who fear me.”

Dr. Uzma told reporters Khan appeared to be in good health. “He was surprised to learn that India is running a propaganda campaign about his health,” she added.

Aleema said Imran had asked Faisal Chaudhry how he got permission to meet him, indicating his frustration with inconsistent jail visitation policies. “The whole country knows what’s going on here,” she said.

Earlier in the day, tensions flared outside Adiala Jail when PTI supporters clashed with Punjab Police nearly a mile from the prison. PTI leaders and activists were stopped at a checkpoint.

Sahibzada Hamid Raza, a senior leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council, told reporters, “Five of our MNAs were beaten by police. We have a court order to meet Imran Khan. We are not asking for anything illegal.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, had a heated exchange with a senior police official at the scene. He told the media that lawyer Salman Akram Raja had spoken to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who assured him that court orders would be followed. “Still, they’re not letting us meet Khan,” Ayub said.

Amir Dogar, PTI’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly, was allegedly beaten by police and had his clothes torn.

“I’m an elected MNA. This is brutality and hooliganism. They’re doing this just because we are near Adiala Jail,” Dogar said.

PTI's sit-in

Following the clash between police and PTI supporters, several PTI Members of the National Assembly staged a symbolic sit-in protest in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad. The protest was in response to what they called “brutal police violence” against elected lawmakers.

“We are protesting against the violence inflicted on parliamentarians,” PTI leaders said during the demonstration. Protesters also raised slogans outside Parliament, demanding accountability for the actions of the Punjab Police.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that it is unacceptable that the leader of the country’s largest political party is being isolated. “Law and justice have been abolished in Pakistan,” Gohar stated.

“Even after the High Court’s decision, we were not allowed to meet the PTI founder,” he added.

“We are being labeled as a group of anarchists, but after all these restrictions and attitudes, the public must decide who the real anarchists are.”