ISLAMABAD: The embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday strongly condemned the police baton charge against its peaceful protesters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi the previous day, labelling it an act of “oppression” and “injustice.”
The statement follows the dispersal of a sit-in staged by PTI supporters and family members of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, including his sisters, who were protesting the authorities’ refusal to allow them to meet their brother.
In its statement, PTI accused the Punjab Police of using excessive force and engaging in unlawful actions outside the prison. The protest was broken up after authorities blocked access to the jail, preventing the family from meeting Khan.
According to the party, 11 men were detained at the Rawat police station, while three women were arrested by Rawalpindi police. The party also reported the arrests of Advocate Raja Yasir, MNA Shahid Khattak’s brother Adil, and a man named Tanveer.
PTI demanded the immediate release of all those arrested and called for criminal proceedings against the police officials responsible.
The party argued that the gathering outside Adiala Jail was a peaceful and lawful exercise of constitutional rights, which was met with excessive force, violence, and harassment by law enforcement.
The statement also claimed that the baton charge continued late into the evening, with reports of mistreatment directed towards women and children.
Additionally, the party alleged that Rawalpindi police set up a checkpoint at Bahria Town on the route returning from Adiala Jail, where they allegedly confiscated mobile phones from citizens, seized vehicles belonging to women, and damaged the windscreens of several cars.
The PTI further claimed that the mobile phones and vehicles were returned only after residents were coerced into paying bribes.
Those who refused were reportedly subjected to vehicle impoundment, with several cars still held by the authorities without formal charges or documentation.
The PTI has demanded the return of all confiscated items and called for a judicial inquiry into the alleged extortion, vandalism, and human rights abuses committed by the police.
The party condemned what it described as the “fascist conduct” of the Rawalpindi police, which it said is part of a broader pattern of government-backed intimidation under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
In its statement, the PTI asserted that the government’s actions were intended to deprive Imran Khan and his family of their constitutional right to meet and to instil fear among the public.
The party pledged to continue opposing these actions through every constitutional, legal, and democratic avenue available.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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