The sisters of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday abruptly ended an ongoing sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail and instead moved towards Islamabad to lead a protest rally, party officials confirmed.
For several weeks, PTI workers, supporters, and members of Imran Khan’s family have been staging sit-ins near the prison on Tuesdays and Thursdays, demanding access to the incarcerated former premier. These protests have become a regular feature as Imran’s family claims they have repeatedly been denied meetings with him despite court orders permitting such visits.
An order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 24, 2025, directed prison authorities to allow Imran Khan to meet his family and legal team twice a week, specifically on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and Noreen Khan Niazi — along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, have made multiple unsuccessful attempts to meet him, according to PTI officials.
On Tuesday night, PTI media coordinators told Dawn that the sisters unexpectedly called off the sit-in and began heading towards Murree Road to stage a protest rally in Islamabad. They said the move was not part of any pre-planned strategy and was taken at the sisters’ own discretion.
A video shared by the PTI on X showed several vehicles departing the protest site, while party workers and supporters proceeded on foot. “Even today, Chairman Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were not granted meetings with family members,” the party said in the post. “Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI workers have now set off for a protest rally in Islamabad.”
Earlier in the day, police blocked PTI leaders and supporters at DHA Naka, preventing them from reaching Factory Chowk — a location where multiple sit-ins have previously been held. During daylight hours, Imran’s sisters and party leaders held a Quran khwani at the site, before authorities allowed them to move slightly further ahead.
Speaking to reporters, Uzma Khan said police initially blocked their route, forcing them to travel via an unpaved dirt road. She added that demonstrators had decided to hold Quran khwani at whatever location they were stopped by law enforcement.
Uzma also warned that Pakistan would face a nationwide shutdown on February 8, the date on which PTI and opposition parties have announced a “wheel-jam” strike. “The entire country will be jammed,” she said.
She praised KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, saying he was following Imran Khan’s guidance. “Sohail Afridi has been trained by Imran Khan and is acting according to his instructions,” she said, adding that the peaceful nature of the protests reflected Imran’s political training.
Uzma further alleged that Imran Khan’s imprisonment was linked to his opposition to military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “They have received directions from abroad to carry out a military operation, and that is why it is being conducted,” she claimed, without providing evidence.
She also accused the judiciary of being powerless and unable to deliver justice to politicians, alleging that police had demanded bribes from PTI supporters gathered outside Adiala Jail. “Since the May 9 incidents, police have been entering homes and extorting money from PTI supporters,” she claimed. Uzma also called on the public to fly kites bearing Imran Khan’s name and image on February 8, coinciding with Basant celebrations in Lahore.
Aleema Khan, meanwhile, told reporters that prison authorities were refusing to allow the jail superintendent to facilitate the signing of a vakalatnama (power of attorney). Responding to another question, she said protesters were no longer interested in meetings and instead wanted Imran Khan’s immediate release.
Shafiullah Jan, adviser to the KP chief minister on information, said police restrictions had intensified. “Previously, PTI workers were stopped three kilometres away from the jail, but today they were stopped eight kilometres from the premises,” he said. He added that committed PTI workers participating in the street movement remained present despite obstacles.
Jan reiterated that court orders allowing family and political meetings twice a week were not being implemented. He also defended KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, saying he continued to address provincial issues despite opposition campaigns. “Those campaigns have now fizzled out,” he said, adding that Afridi regularly visited displaced persons’ camps and personally supervised arrangements.
PTI Islamabad President Amir Mughal urged the public to join the protests, saying Imran Khan was enduring imprisonment “for the sake of the masses and the youth.” He said he personally faced around 60 first information reports (FIRs) but still managed to reach Adiala Jail every Tuesday.
“We will shut down the entire country on February 8,” Mughal said, adding that figures such as Sohail Afridi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas had Imran Khan’s backing. “They are all resisting, and we stand with them,” he said.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces ongoing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the violent protests that erupted on May 9, 2023.
In December, a United Nations special rapporteur raised concerns about Imran Khan’s detention conditions, warning that they could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment, and urged Pakistani authorities to adhere to international human rights standards.