ISLAMABAD: The PTI accused the police of subjecting its staff to violence and arresting them close to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, the place they had been staging a sit-in on Tuesday.
The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week conferences — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — together with his household, legal professionals and different associates. Regardless of the order, the ex-premier has not been allowed any guests for weeks, together with his sisters and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Subsequently, protests and sit-ins close to the Adiala jail, the place Imran has been incarcerated since September 2023, have turn into a regular incidence on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On a number of events, the police have additionally used pressure to disperse the protesters, who usually camp at Manufacturing facility Naka — a police picket close to the jail.
Imran’s sisters and supporters once more staged a sit-in close to the jail at present whereas a PTI submit on social media platform alleged that police had inflicted violence on occasion staff and arrested them as properly.
A livestream on PTI’s YouTube channel confirmed one in all Imran’s sisters, Aleema Khanum, surrounded by occasion staff and supporters, together with kids, sitting on the bottom and shouting slogans.
Nevertheless, movies posted by PTI chief Aliya Hamza Malik from earlier within the night confirmed males, showing to be policemen, detaining individuals. Malik claimed in her submit on X that lawmaker Mehar Abdul Sattar, together with occasion staff, had been arrested.
A video posted by Punjab Meeting Opposition Chief Moeen Riaz Qureshi confirmed a big contingent of police riot gear. The caption mentioned “a big contingent of police is approaching”.
The sit-in, nonetheless, continued regardless of the alleged police motion.
Chatting with reporters on the spot, Aleema demanded a gathering with Imran and speedy medical remedy for his eye situation at Al-Shifa Hospital.
“They’ve made a joke out of this, they’ve to supply him medical remedy,” she emphasised.
The PTI has been elevating considerations about Imran’s well being after stories emerged, and later the federal government confirmed, that he was handled on the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
Chatting with Geo InformationData Minister Attaullah Tarar had mentioned final week that the previous premier was taken to Pims in Islamabad for a “20-minute” medical process on Imran’s eye on the evening of January 24. He mentioned the ex-premier was then taken again to the Adiala jail with “necessary directions”.
The PTI has additionally Condemned the act of “secretly transferring” Imran to Pims, intentionally holding his household and the occasion management uninformed, and denying him entry to private physicians.
Aleema mentioned in regards to the growth at present that details about the Pims go to had been “leaked” and neither she, nor anybody else in Imran’s household was knowledgeable.
“They quietly took him late at evening. They is perhaps frightened that one thing would possibly occur to him (Imran), however why leak it?” she questioned. “Why weren’t we informed that he was taken to the hospital?” Aleema added.
She mentioned they needed to meet Imran and mentioned that Imran’s medical check-up was carried out within the presence of his doctor, Dr Aasim Yusuf. She additionally known as for the examination of Imran’s eye by a specialist physician.
Whereas Aleema was staging a sit-in, the Rawalpindi sub-divisional police officer approached her with warrants issued for her by an anti-terrorism courtroom within the garrison metropolis on Monday, and Aleema signed the warrants.
The sit-in was nonetheless beneath approach at round midnight, when final updates had been acquired. Nevertheless, the variety of individuals had diminished by then. Imran’s all three sisters had been nonetheless current on the spot although.
PTI to file one other contempt plea
Earlier, PTI Secretary Normal Salman Akram Raja was on the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom to provoke the method of submitting one more contempt of courtroom petition in opposition to Adiala jail authorities for repeatedly denying occasion leaders permission to satisfy Imran.
Asserting his occasion’s plans once more shifting the courtroom in opposition to jail authorities, Raja mentioned whereas chatting with reporters on the courtroom premises that this might be the “sixth contempt petition” filed on the matter.
The PTI and Imran’s sisters each have beforehand filed contempt petitions in opposition to Adiala jail authorities over non-compliance with the IHC order.
At this time, Raja mentioned whereas chatting with reporters on the IHC that he was on the courtroom to file “one other contempt of courtroom petition” over what he deemed was “continued and deliberate non-compliance with courtroom orders”.
“This isn’t the primary time; that is the sixth contempt petition,” Raja mentioned, including that regardless of clear judicial instructions, jail officers had constantly obstructed entry to the PTI founder.
“No structure prevents a prisoner from talking, and the jail rule being cited to limit conferences is itself unconstitutional,” he asserted, with out specifying which rule he was referring to.
Raja maintained that whereas incarceration lawfully curtailed an individual’s bodily freedom, it didn’t “extinguish basic rights altogether”.
The PTI chief mentioned whereas a prisoner’s freedom was taken away, they may not be disadvantaged of their capability to suppose and converse.
“When somebody goes to satisfy a prisoner, he can say no matter involves his thoughts. There isn’t any regulation that permits the state to censor thought or speech on this method,” the PTI chief added.
Raja alleged that restrictions on conferences with Imran had been “not administrative however political in nature”, aimed toward “silencing the previous premier and controlling the political narrative”.
“An try is being made to cover the hollowness of the system,” he mentioned, additional alleging that authorities had been making an attempt to bury what he described because the “lie of February 8” — seemingly a reference to the 2024 normal elections, which the PTI has repeatedly alleged had been rigged.
He alleged that efforts had been being made to cover that “individuals’s vote was robbed”, additional accusing the state of “sending a message of submission” to the general public. “They’re telling the people who your future is just subjugation, that your vote and your voice don’t have any worth,” he mentioned, with out naming anybody.
Raja additional alleged that the continued denial of conferences with Imran was meant to create an environment of worry and helplessness.
“They’re giving the individuals the impression that the liberty of your leaders is at our mercy,” he mentioned, including that such actions struck on the coronary heart of democratic norms and constitutional ensures.
Raja described Imran Khan because the nation’s hottest political chief and claimed that these in energy had been unnerved by his affect even from behind bars.
“The founding father of PTI is the most important chief within the nation, and at present they’re scared and terrified,” he mentioned. “Their goal is to silence the voice of the founding father of PTI.”
Further enter from Ikram Junaidi and Mohammad Asghar
