Rawalpindi, December 23, 2025: PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, along with party workers, staged a sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Factory Naka on Tuesday after they were once again stopped from proceeding towards Adiala Jail to meet the incarcerated former prime minister.
A post shared on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official X account showed the sit-in continuing till late night with party workers chanting slogans of “Prime Minister Imran Khan”. Police had installed riot fences at the site and deployed a heavy contingent to block the protesters’ advance.
By around 9pm, the Saddar police station house officer reached the protest site and initiated negotiations with PTI leaders Shaukat Basra and Meena Khan Afridi. Following the initial talks, PTI leaders contacted Imran Khan’s sisters for consultation on the way forward. Media reports confirmed that the protest erupted after Aleema Khan and party workers were stopped near Factory Naka, prompting them to stage a sit-in on the spot.
For several weeks, Imran Khan has been denied meetings in prison with his family, party leaders and lawyers, despite court orders allowing visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This has led PTI leaders and Imran’s family members to repeatedly stage sit-ins near or outside Adiala Jail. On some occasions, police have dispersed protesters using water cannons and baton charges.
Earlier in the day, PTI’s live stream showed supporters marching towards Adiala Jail on Adiala Road before being halted at a police barricade. Protesters chanted slogans and waved Pakistani and PTI flags at the site.
Speaking to reporters, Aleema Khan alleged that Imran Khan was being kept in “solitary confinement” and accused the government of violating the law out of fear of his message. “The authorities are afraid of Imran Khan, which is why they have jailed him,” she said, questioning why meetings with him had been blocked.
Commenting on reports about negotiations, Aleema dismissed suggestions of dialogue with the government, saying Imran Khan had instead instructed Sohail Afridi to lead a street movement. She said this message was conveyed through lawyer Salman Safdar, who represented Imran Khan in the Toshakhana-II case. “Whoever talks about negotiations after Imran Khan’s instructions cannot be part of his party,” she asserted, adding that the family would continue their sit-in until meetings were allowed.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also addressed the media, describing the party’s struggle as a nationwide movement for democracy and judicial independence. He termed Imran Khan’s convictions “unlawful” and said appeals would be filed, but stressed that the real battle would be fought in the “court of the people”. He added that Imran Khan had directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to lead the protest movement in the province, with plans to expand it to Punjab.
Responding to reports of talks with the government, Raja said Imran Khan had not authorised anyone in the party to initiate negotiations, reiterating PTI’s stance that the February 8 elections were “stolen”.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case, while also facing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to the May 9, 2023 protests. His wife, Bushra Bibi, is serving a seven-year sentence in the same corruption case.
Concerns have been repeatedly raised by Imran Khan’s family and party regarding his detention conditions. A United Nations special rapporteur has warned that the circumstances of his incarceration could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Monday that meetings with Imran Khan would remain suspended until February 8.
