RAWALPINDI: Police used water cannons early Wednesday to break up a sit-in led by Aleema Khan outside Adiala Jail after authorities refused her request to meet imprisoned former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.
Aleema, joined by her sisters Noreen Khan and Dr Uzma Khan, began the protest at around 2pm on Tuesday, supported by party workers and former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. The sit-in continued for nearly 12 hours before police moved in at about 2:10am, deploying high-pressure cold-water jets to clear the road.
Police said several PTI workers were detained during the operation. The water cannons pushed protesters from the main road into a nearby vacant plot, allowing traffic routes around the jail to reopen.
PTI MNA Shahid Khattak fractured his leg after slipping into a drain amid the chaos. He was taken to hospital, where doctors placed his leg in a cast and advised a month of bed rest.
Aleema Khan announced that the group would return next Tuesday to resume their protest. Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan condemned the use of force, saying the deployment of freezing water at pre-dawn hours endangered participants, particularly women and the elderly.
Throughout the operation, protesters continued chanting demands for access to Imran Khan. Jail authorities have yet to comment on whether visitation will be allowed.
Gohar warns of uncontrollable fallout
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali, speaking outside Parliament House on Wednesday, warned that “if one step is taken against us, the consequences may spiral beyond anyone’s control”.
“This is not a business where one is removed and another remains. If one goes down, none will be left,” he said, criticising the use of water cannons even against Imran Khan’s sisters. “Enough is enough.”
Gohar denounced the repeated denial of meetings with the former prime minister, questioning what harm a two-hour visit could have caused. He also rejected official claims that Imran’s social-media statements justified restricting access, pointing out that others — such as Bushra Bibi — have held press conferences despite regular meetings.
Warning of rising tensions, he added: “We represent 30 million people. If things continue this way, within a month the situation will be completely out of control.”
He also criticised a resolution passed in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, accusing the government of “pitching federating units against each other” and imposing politically motivated restrictions on PTI.
Mounting frustration over restricted access
The confrontation unfolded amid increasingly limited access to Imran Khan, who has been held at Adiala Jail following convictions in multiple cases. Although Tuesdays are designated for family and legal meetings, PTI leaders say access has been inconsistent for weeks, with authorities citing security and administrative grounds.
Tensions escalated sharply when Imran’s sisters were informed near the end of visiting hours that their meeting was cancelled. Officials reportedly refused to confirm whether they would be allowed to see him later in the week, sparking frustration within the party.
The refusal triggered an immediate sit-in that rapidly grew as senior party leadership — including the chairman, secretary general, and several MNAs — reached the site. As crowds swelled, authorities sealed surrounding roads, suspended commercial activity and relocated vehicles belonging to PTI workers, deepening the standoff.
Aleema Khan maintained that the protest remained peaceful, but condemned the ongoing ban on meetings, calling it psychological pressure on Imran Khan and questioning why he was being treated as a “national security threat”. She rejected claims of political discussions during previous visits, saying family interactions were being misrepresented to justify further restrictions.
By late night, PTI leaders warned that continued denial of access would widen political fissures and fuel public unrest — setting the stage for the early-morning police action that followed.
