Speculations regarding the safety and whereabouts of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have intensified across the nation. This follows a disturbing incident where his three sisters were reportedly assaulted by police personnel while attempting to meet him in jail. The event has triggered widespread concern and comes at a time when unverified social media claims from Afghanistan and Pakistan suggest Khan has been killed inside Adiala Jail.
Brutal Assault on Khan's Sisters
According to members of Khan's political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), his sisters—Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan—were camped outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. They were seeking a meeting with their brother, who has been incarcerated since August 2023 on multiple charges. The government has enforced a ban on meetings with the former PM for over a month.
Noreen Niazi provided a harrowing account of the event. "We peacefully protested over concerns for his health condition. We neither blocked roads nor obstructed public movement, nor engaged in any unlawful conduct," she stated. "Yet, without warning or provocation, the streetlights in the area were abruptly switched off, deliberately casting the scene into darkness. What followed was a brutal and orchestrated assault by Punjab police personnel."
She described being a victim of excessive force, stating, "At the age of 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown violently to the ground, and dragged across the road, sustaining visible injuries." Niazi further accused the police of slapping and dragging other women present at the site.
Political Fallout and Widespread Condemnation
The assault has drawn sharp criticism, with Niazi labeling the police conduct as "wholly criminal, illegal, morally reprehensible." She asserted that this incident is part of a broader and troubling pattern of indiscriminate force used against peacefully protesting citizens over the past three years, reflecting a culture of impunity.
Simultaneously, thousands of PTI supporters gathered outside the jail, raising slogans against Khan's arrest. The situation is further inflamed by persistent rumors on social media about Khan's mysterious death in custody, though these claims remain unverified. This is not the first time access to Khan has been blocked; earlier, the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, was denied a meeting despite seven consecutive attempts.
A Deepening Crisis
The combination of the violent treatment of Khan's family, the ongoing ban on visits, and the circulation of alarming rumors has created a significant political crisis in Pakistan. The events outside Adiala Jail highlight the intense tensions surrounding the imprisonment of the former prime minister and raise serious questions about the conduct of law enforcement agencies in a democratic society.
