Rawalpindi, December 2, 2025: In a move aimed at easing escalating concerns over the health of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, authorities on Tuesday allowed his sister Uzma Khan to meet him at Adiala Jail after several weeks of restrictions.
PTI sources said Uzma is expected to brief the media following her meeting, as the party has intensified claims that Khan’s health has deteriorated and that the government has deliberately blocked all information. However, Khan’s other sisters — Aleema Khan and Noreen Niazi — were again denied permission to meet the PTI founder.
Uzma’s meeting comes after weeks in which both PTI leadership and the family were prevented from seeing Khan despite court directives. The party had threatened to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), followed by a march toward the jail, demanding immediate access.
Government officials defended the restrictions, saying meetings were barred under jail regulations to ensure security for the former prime minister and other inmates. They also alleged that political discussions had taken place during previous visits — a charge the PTI has rejected.
A day ahead of PTI’s planned demonstration, administrations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi imposed Section 144, prohibiting rallies and public gatherings in the twin cities. The measure followed rising tensions, particularly after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied access to Khan for the eighth consecutive time late last month, despite staging a 16-hour sit-in outside Adiala Jail.
Khan has remained behind bars since August 2023, more than a year after he was ousted through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Speaking to reporters before entering the jail, Uzma said she was “happy to finally receive permission,” adding that she would speak to the media after the meeting.
Her sister Aleema, addressing journalists at Factory Naka, alleged that the former prime minister had been kept in solitary confinement for a month. She criticised what she termed excessive security arrangements, saying police had even “left dirty water on the road” and that the government appeared “fearful of a family visit.”
“They have deployed half of Punjab’s police here today,” Aleema claimed. “We cannot understand what they are so afraid of.”
She further alleged that authorities were uneasy over sister Noreen Niazi’s interview with Indian media, but vowed that the family would continue to raise concerns globally. Calling the restrictions “undemocratic,” Aleema accused Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of “repeated lies,” insisting that permitting a simple family meeting would defuse tensions.
Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman have also voiced growing apprehension, saying the prolonged communication blackout has raised fears that authorities may be hiding “something irreversible.”
Kasim told Reuters that despite a court-ordered right to weekly meetings, there had been no direct contact with their father for more than three weeks, fueling speculation over a covert transfer or worsening health.
Adiala Jail placed on high alert
Security around Adiala Jail has been significantly tightened. Five new checkpoints have been established along Adiala Road, while over 700 law-enforcement personnel — including police from 12 stations, women officers, and anti-riot units — have been deployed under a special security plan. Vehicles were permitted to pass only after strict screening, officials said.
Islamabad police reiterated that Section 144 remains in effect, warning that any unlawful assembly would prompt immediate action. Citizens were advised to avoid activities prohibited under the order.
In Rawalpindi, Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema has also enforced Section 144 from December 1 to 3.
