Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sisters ended an hours-long sit-in outside Adiala Jail late on Tuesday on the “request” of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir.
Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan, and Uzma Khan have been denied meetings with their brother since Nov. 4, despite court orders allowing them visits every Tuesday. Earlier reports suggested the sit-in, which included several hundred Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, was called off after police assured the sisters they would be allowed to meet Khan next week. However, Aleema denied this while speaking with media.
In a statement livestreamed on the PTI’s official social media accounts, Aleema said there was no dialogue with authorities but they had decided to end the sit-in to shift focus “on the martyrs.” She said Nasir had urged them to go to the homes of the deceased and meet their families. “Tomorrow they have called the families of the martyrs in Hayatabad. So we will go there,” she said and urged PTI supporters to attend in large numbers as well.
Aleema emphasized that the family should be permitted to meet Khan to end apprehensions about his status. “Who knows, maybe Imran has been shifted. Why are they not letting us meet him?” she questioned.
The PTI has said the protest at Hayatabad aimed to express solidarity with the families of PTI supporters allegedly killed during protests on May 9, 2023, Oct. 4, 2024, and Nov. 26, 2024 when the party’s activists clashed with law enforcement agencies.
Earlier, the sit-in saw PTI supporters facing off against riot police. Law enforcement agencies halted Khan’s sisters upon their arrival to Adiala at Factory Naka, triggering slogans from gathered supporters and prompting the sisters to stage a sit-in. Aleema had claimed she would remain at the location until she was permitted to meet Khan.
The sit-in followed a similar attempt last week, with the PTI claiming police had manhandled Khan’s sisters in a bid to remove them.