ISLAMABAD: Supporters of the PTI staged a sit-in near Adiala Jail on Tuesday after party leaders and members of Imran Khan’s family were again denied permission to meet the former prime minister.
The Islamabad High Court had allowed Imran Khan’s family members to visit him on Tuesdays and party leaders on Thursdays, but these arrangements have reportedly not been implemented for several months.
On Tuesday, Imran Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — along with lawyers, party leaders and workers, were stopped by jail authorities when they arrived outside the prison.
Speaking to the media, Aleema Khan said the country had faced continued unrest over the past three years because Imran Khan was in jail. She claimed Pakistan was being treated unfairly and linked the situation to broader law-and-order concerns.
Responding to questions about the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, Aleema Khan said the region’s people were denied access to mainstream media, but social media had allowed information to circulate. She said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan voted in favour of the PTI despite these restrictions.
She said it was the duty of every Pakistani to help save the country and suggested that Imran Khan’s release could contribute to resolving the prevailing crises.
Asked whether Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was expected to visit Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan said he had been scheduled to attend Parliament House when the federal budget was presented.
On proposals for talks to resolve the PTI’s grievances, she referred to recent meetings between PTI Interim Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, saying they had brought no change.
She also called for public mobilisation, saying that if 10,000 people gathered outside Adiala Jail, Imran Khan’s release could be secured.
Summons notice
Separately, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday directed authorities to review and explain a Federal Investigation Agency report in a case concerning a call-up notice issued to PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja over alleged misuse of social media.
Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas was hearing a petition filed by Raja seeking protection from arrest and harassment in connection with an inquiry being conducted by a joint investigation team.
During the hearing, Assistant Inspector General Legal Tahir Kazim, representing Islamabad police, told the court that the FIA had received a complaint alleging that Raja had misused social media platforms.
Justice Minhas noted that the FIA report on record stated that no case had been registered against the petitioner.
Kazim submitted that the matter was still at the inquiry stage and that proceedings before the FIA were ongoing.
The judge directed the AIG to carefully examine the reports available on record before making submissions to the court.
After hearing preliminary arguments, the court adjourned the proceedings to a later date.