PTI's sit-in at Adiala Jail continues over denied meetings with Imran Khan
Tensions escalated on Tuesday after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters protested against the jail authorities for denying a scheduled meeting with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, 24NewsHD TV reported.
A sit-in by the sisters of the PTI founder continues at the Adiala Jail Factory checkpoint, where senior PTI leaders Sulaiman Akram Raja, Farrukh Siyal, Junaid Akbar and Shahid Khattak are also present.
A heavy contingent of police has been deployed at the site, and strict security measures have been put in place, including the installation of anti-riot gates.
PTI workers gathered at the Factory checkpoint in significant numbers; however, many of them have started leaving after taking selfies.
Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Khan are included in the sit-in, urging the judiciary to take notice.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed as PTI workers chanted slogans, demanding immediate compliance with court orders that permit family and legal counsel to meet the detained leader.
LIVE | Imran Khan’s Sisters Arrive at Adiala Jail to Meet Prime Minister Imran Khan https://t.co/OFlu8d3mmY
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 9, 2025
The situation remained tense as party leaders vowed to continue their protest until the visitation orders were implemented.
The protest continued into the evening as PTI workers awaited a response from authorities.
Speaking to the media, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said they wanted the PTI founder’s personal physician to examine him.
He added, “Until his personal doctor conducts a check-up, we will not consider any other medical report to be accurate.”
He emphasised that meetings with the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi should be allowed, and that Bushra Bibi must be permitted to meet her family.
“We are sitting here under the law and the constitution,” he stated.
“Until a few months ago, our meetings were taking place regularly. Let’s see when the system finally comes to its senses,” he added.
Addressing participants at the sit-in, PTI MNA Shahid Khattak expressed solidarity with the founder’s family, saying the protest would remain peaceful but firm.
“We stand with the sisters of our leader. This will be a peaceful sit-in,” he said, warning that solitary confinement created risks.
“Keeping Imran Khan in isolation means anything can be done to him,” he alleged.
Khattak described the PTI founder as “the greatest leader after Muhammad Ali Jinnah ” and referred to him as “Pakistan’s insurance policy.”
He strongly criticized what he termed undue interference in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s affairs. “What business does the establishment have interfering in KP?
If you touch our government again, the reaction won’t be something you can handle,” he said.
The PTI lawmaker also spoke at length about Pakistan’s counterterrorism strategy, claiming inconsistencies and policy reversals had worsened the situation.
Earlier, speaking to the media, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali said that while political differences are natural, hostility should not become part of politics.
He criticized authorities for blocking the visit despite clear judicial instructions.
“The court has allowed the meeting, yet the family and lawyers are being stopped,” he said.
Barrister Gohar stressed that Pakistan cannot afford further instability.
“The country cannot bear more chaos and tension. The word ‘confrontation’ must be removed from politics,” he remarked.
He added that peace and dialogue were essential, emphasizing that allowing meetings with the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, would help ease the situation.
Gohar said his last meeting with the former prime minister took place in October, claiming that the continued denial of access was exacerbating the situation.
He urged that, at the very least, the founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, should be allowed to meet him.
“The more restrictions they impose, the more people will come out,” he warned.
Calling on the judiciary to intervene, Gohar appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court to fix PTI’s pending contempt petitions.
“We are not getting justice in the courts, and Parliament does not allow us to speak,” he remarked.
He urged all stakeholders to prioritize stability, saying, “We must try to end this tension. Peace in the country is essential, and facilitating these meetings will improve the environment.”
Reporter: Irshad Qureshi