Pakistan mulls shifting Imran Khan to another province’s jail after Adiala protests

Pakistan’s government is considering transferring former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a jail in another province, following heightened tensions and protests outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, a ruling party official said Wednesday.

Ikhtiar Wali, coordinator to the prime minister and a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, said the situation outside the prison had become “intolerable.”

Wali accused Khan’s sisters of creating “problems for the public” while protesting outside the facility “for inmate number 804.” He said security concerns and continuous disturbances had prompted officials to assess shifting Khan to another jail in a different province.

Overnight crackdown outside Adiala Jail

Police launched an operation in the wee hours of Wednesday to disperse Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters staging a sit-in outside Adiala Jail after Imran Khan’s family was denied a meeting with him

Water cannons were used to clear the road in near-freezing temperatures, officials said. Multiple PTI workers were detained.

Amid the chaos, PTI lawmaker Shahid Khattak was injured, with some reports suggesting his leg was fractured.

Khan’s sisters — Aleema, Uzma and Noreen — were part of the demonstration. After police action, they reportedly took shelter in a nearby residential area to avoid arrest.

PTI condemns crackdown

In a post on X at 3:58 a.m., the PTI said authorities used water cannons to break up a peaceful sit-in involving Khan’s sisters, calling it a violation of human rights and freedom of assembly.

The party shared video footage of water being sprayed at protesters huddling in the cold. It accused authorities of deliberately blocking family access to Khan, despite a court order allowing visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Aleema Khanum, Uzma Khanum and Noreen Niazi, sisters of jailed former Prime Minister of Pakistan and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Imran Khan, walk with supporters during a protest over concerns about their brother's health, on a road leading to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, December 9, 2025. Reuters

The party described the operation as “a shameless violation of Imran Khan’s prisoner rights” and an “assault on constitutional rights.” It urged international human rights organizations to speak out.

Dispute over prison visits

The sit-in began Tuesday after Aleema was once again denied access to her brother. Senior PTI figures, including Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan, joined the protest.

Police made repeated attempts to persuade the sisters to leave before a heavy contingent was deployed.

PTI says family meetings have been blocked for weeks despite court orders, increasing concerns over Khan’s wellbeing and possible prison transfers.

Last week, authorities allowed Uzma Khan to meet her brother. After the visit, she said he was “perfectly fine.”

Aleema said Tuesday that the state was breaking the law, insisting the PTI was operating lawfully.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar addressed reporters, criticizing the Punjab Assembly resolution and accusing the government of trying to “turn federating units against each other.”

The resolution, passed Tuesday, declared former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party “anti-state” and sought to bar them from political activity.

Gohar questioned the move, asking, “Isolating a major political party—does denying them due process strengthen democracy?”

He added, “I told them yesterday: this isn’t a business transaction—you can’t subtract one and assume the rest will remain intact. If we are sidelined, nothing will be left.”

Gohar also said the authorities had withheld approvals for party documents, rejected the party’s senator and local government positions, and refused to recognize reserve seats. “Enough is enough,” he said, warning that if the situation continues, it could spiral out of control within a month.

Government stance hardens

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said meetings were banned after “political discussions” reportedly took place during a recent visit — something not permitted under prison rules.

Last week, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied a meeting with Khan for the ninth time. He later told reporters he was weighing further protests.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar warned that “the gloves are off,” saying strict action — including arrests and legal cases — would be taken against anyone causing disruption outside the jail.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said decisions about visits were up to prison authorities and not the federal government.

Rights concerns

Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission said it was “seriously concerned” over reports of limited access to Khan and restrictions on family visits.

It urged authorities to allow regular access to relatives and lawyers, calling such contact a “fundamental safeguard against isolation and misuse of detention powers.” It also pressed the government to comply with constitutional protections and international human rights standards.

Khan, 73, who led Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, has been jailed since August 2023 on corruption charges. He says the cases are politically motivated.