RAWALPINDI: Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has alleged that all jail facilities previously available to him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail have been completely withdrawn. Speaking to the media outside an anti-terrorism court on Thursday, she claimed that her brother is now being denied even basic rights, including access to books and the ability to communicate with his children.
Aleema Khan criticized the alleged disparity in treatment, comparing Imran Khan’s prison conditions to those of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, whom she said were provided rest house accommodations and full privileges during their respective incarcerations.
She also accused the Punjab government—currently led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)—of launching a political crackdown on PTI by attempting to unseat 26 of its members in the Punjab Assembly. Despite mounting legal and political challenges, she stated that Imran Khan has directed the party to launch a fresh movement after the 10th of Muharram, signaling a renewed phase of political mobilization.
This development comes just days after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected Imran Khan’s post-arrest bail petitions in eight separate cases related to the May 9 riots. A division bench of the LHC, headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, upheld the decisions of the anti-terrorism court that had earlier dismissed Khan’s bail applications.
The rejected bail cases involve high-profile incidents, including the attack on Lahore’s Jinnah House, the Askari Tower vandalism, and the arson at the Shadman Police Station. During the hearings, the prosecution argued that the PTI founder had incited party leaders and supporters to target military installations during nationwide protests following his arrest.
Aleema Khan’s statement adds to the PTI’s ongoing narrative of political victimization and legal injustice, while the government maintains that law enforcement actions are being carried out in accordance with the constitution and the rule of law.
