ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday lashed out at Punjab police and its “powerful handlers” over what it called the brutal mistreatment of Imran Khan’s sisters, warning that continued “state brutality” would leave the party with no choice but to take “extreme measures.”
The warning came after Punjab police brutally assaulted Imran Khan’s sisters outside Adiala Jail the previous day, denying them a meeting with their brother, before detaining and releasing them at the Chakri Interchange.
Speaking at a press conference, senior PTI leaders, flanked by Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Khan, and Dr Uzma Khan, as well as Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) Chief Allama Nasir Abbas, a PTI ally, issued a blunt warning to the government: “Make no mistake, or all hell will break loose.”
The allegations centered on an attack on the Khan family’s dignity, with PTI leaders vowing to hold the authorities accountable. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja condemned the Punjab police, accusing them of undermining the judicial authority.
“This isn’t just an attack on the Khan family,” Raja declared, his voice rising with anger. “It is an assault on the very rule of law. How dare a low-ranking jail superintendent defy court orders with impunity?”
He vowed that PTI would not stand idly by while authorities “trample over the dignity of our leaders’ families.”
A visibly agitated MP Shahid Khattak, who was also arrested alongside Khan’s sisters, vowed, “If anyone lays a hand on Noreen Khan again, I will stand between them and her as a son would protect his mother. Don’t mistake our silence for weakness.”
With a pointed warning to Punjab’s political elite, Khattak cautioned that further escalation would provoke PTI to mobilise like a “roaring wave.”
Provincial Minister Meena Khan Afridi, who also witnessed the incident, voiced his outrage: “I swear to God, if any man enters Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without his uniform, acting like a thug, they’ll see what real ‘manhood’ looks like.”
He insisted that Punjab’s “goons” would not be allowed to enter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unless the mistreatment of Imran Khan’s family stopped immediately.
Aleema Khan, Imran Khan’s sister, recounted a firsthand account of the police assault, describing it as “barbaric brutality.”
The sisters of the former prime minister were not only denied access to Imran Khan but also subjected to violent treatment, according to Aleema Khan.
“My 71-year-old sister was thrown to the ground and dragged by policemen,” she recounted.
“They slapped a 12-year-old boy who came to inform us of water being released and whisked him away in a van. Is this the Pakistan we fought for?”
Echoing her brother’s famous slogan, she added, “Freedom or death! Imran Khan’s message from jail.”
She also condemned the “solitary confinement” of Imran Khan, revealing that, despite court orders, they had been denied contact with him for weeks. “This is a blatant violation of his rights,” she said, her voice resolute.
She also criticised the growing authoritarianism in the country, pointing to the erosion of accountability within the country’s powerful military establishment.
“They’ve turned Pakistan into a police state, where decisions are made on a whim and brutality, and even court orders are ignored,” she said.
She further revealed that just a day before his arrest, Imran Khan had been offered a “safe passage” out of the country, which he refused. “Imran Khan has nothing to hide,” she asserted.
Speaking out, Noreen Khan, another sister of Imran Khan, fired a blistering warning: “Anyone who dares to lay a hand on Imran Khan will feel the full force of our retaliation,” she vowed.
“The real agenda behind these actions is to push Pakistan into recognising Israel, and that’s something my brother will never bow to.”
Speaking on the occasion, MWM chief strongly condemned the police’s actions against Imran Khan’s sisters, emphasising their political ramifications. “The entire nation stands with the brave sisters of Imran Khan,” he said.
“We stand with PTI,” he declared.
“This is not just an attack on Imran Khan’s family, but on our justice system. No one is safe when the law is ignored. This tyranny will not be tolerated.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025