Several arrested as police and PTI workers clash near Adiala Jail

Police clashed with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Tuesday near Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, resulting in multiple arrests and a brief standoff.

PTI workers gathered and chanted slogans at the Gorakhpur checkpoint after authorities denied party leaders permission to meet jailed founder Imran Khan, leading to the confrontation.

In response, police baton-charged the protesters, while PTI supporters pelted stones at law enforcement. During the altercation, authorities took several PTI leaders and workers into custody.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, intervened and assured the police of cooperation, defusing the situation.

Meanwhile, police detained Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, along with PTI leader Aliya Hamza, sources said. PTI leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza was also among those detained.

Imran Khan’s sisters visited Adiala jail to meet their brother but were barred from entering the jail premises.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar strongly condemned the arrests, stating that the court had clearly ordered that the family be allowed to meet the PTI founder.

Barrister Gohar called the detention of the PTI founder’s sisters “illegal and unconstitutional” and asserted that no court order had imposed conditional terms for such meetings.

“We did not pelt stones at police nor gave any call for protest. We only came here to show support for the PTI founder’s sisters,” he added.

Separately, sources told News that police stopped the vehicle carrying the detained individuals just a short distance ahead of Adiala Jail. Police officials reportedly told them, “You’re not being taken to a police station — please go back to your homes.”

However, sources said that the PTI founder’s sisters and Aliya Hamza refused to leave. They reportedly told the police, “If you have taken us into custody, then take us to the police station.”

‘Not allowed to meet’:

Earlier, authorities barred the family members of the incarcerated PTI founder from visiting him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

Imran’s sisters, Aleema and Uzma Khan, along with Qasim Khan Niazi, were stopped from entering the jail premises. In a statement, Aleema said she did not understand why the authorities were nervous. “It’s just family here, no one else.”

She alleged that authorities had informed the family they would not be allowed to meet the incarcerated PTI founder. “They said we’re not allowed to go inside. Why not?” she questioned.

Aleema revealed that the authorities had denied the family a meeting for three consecutive weeks. “Today, once again, police have been deployed here to stop us from meeting him.”

“In such circumstances, if we don’t feel upset, then what else are we supposed to feel?” she asked.

She further stated that if they were not allowed to meet the PTI founder, they would continue sitting outside the jail. “We are very distressed. It’s been three weeks, and we still haven’t been able to meet him,” she added.

Last month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reinstated twice-weekly meetings with the PTI founder, allowing them to take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

However, the court strictly prohibited any media interaction after these meetings. It ruled that no one meeting the PTI founding chairman would be allowed to speak to the media afterward.

Furthermore, only those individuals whose names are provided by the PTI founder’s coordinator, Salman Akram Raja, would be permitted to meet him.

Earlier, Aleema expressed concerns over the restricted access to her brother.

Reacting to the PTI leaders’ meeting with the former premier, she lamented the selective enforcement of meeting restrictions. She stated that jail authorities had informed them that family meetings were not allowed during gazetted holidays.

“Yesterday, April 1, was a gazetted holiday, and we were not permitted to meet our brother. The last time we saw him was on March 20. On March 27, we were also denied access,” she said in a post on X.

Aleema further questioned why others were granted access while family members were restricted. She referred specifically to Imran’s meetings with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, highlighting the inconsistency in the enforcement of these restrictions.

“Are the gazetted holiday restrictions only for family? We have not been allowed to meet Imran, and he is also barred from speaking to his sons.”