The sisters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have claimed they were manhandled and violently detained by police during a protest outside the prison where he is being held.
Peaceful Protest Turns to Confrontation
Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Dr Uzma Khan staged their demonstration outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday after officials denied them their weekly court-mandated meeting with their brother. His political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stated the women were sitting peacefully when the confrontation occurred.
Pictures and videos shared by the party on social media platform X showed the elderly women visibly shaken and in tears following the incident. The PTI said police "violently detained" the sisters from their protest site.
A Pattern of Denied Access
The opposition party asserted that what should be routine family visits are being "used as a tool of oppression and violence" against Mr Khan's family and supporters. Following their release, the sisters accused jail authorities of contempt of court for repeatedly blocking their visits.
Aleema Khan gave an emotional account, alleging that women police officers "dragged" them and ripped away their shawls. "We do not have fear. We are also not brave," she said. "We stand with Imran Khan and Imran Khan stands with Pakistan. We will again go back to Adiala Jail."
The PTI has reported that access to the jailed leader has been severely limited for the last six months, with visitors often turned away despite clear court orders.
Condemnation and Official Response
Senior PTI member Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari strongly condemned the police action, describing the attack on Mr Khan's peacefully protesting sisters as "highly despicable" and "unjustifiable".
In contrast, a senior Rawalpindi police officer claimed that the sisters were merely removed from the road they were occupying, according to a report by Dawn newspaper.
Imran Khan, who served as Prime Minister from 2018 until 2022, has been imprisoned since 9 May 2023 on corruption charges. He faces approximately 150 charges, which his party maintains are politically motivated. His removal from power occurred via a parliamentary no-confidence motion in 2022, an event he later claimed was orchestrated by Pakistan's powerful army at the behest of the United States.
