The PTI on Wednesday strongly condemned the Punjab government for unleashing “a reign of terror” on party founder Imran Khan’s sisters, party leaders, lawyers, and workers outside Adiala Jail, describing the act as utterly intolerable and completely unacceptable.
The party announced that the opposition alliance would observe a countrywide ‘black day’ on Friday to demand the restoration of the Constitution, the rule of law and ‘real freedom’, as Imran repeatedly stated that the nation was left with no choice but to choose between freedom and death.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Imran’s sisters – Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi – as well as Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and other party leaders, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja condemned the acts carried out on Tuesday night and issued a stern warning to the authorities.
The PTI secretary general warned that no society could survive, let alone progress, without the freedom of speech, press, conscience and an independent judiciary.
“We are confronting a power structure intoxicated by its own might, blind to morality and law,” he said, vowing, “We will expose this tyranny, for God’s justice may be silent but is relentless – no oppressor will escape it.”
Speaking on the occasion, Aleema denounced the alleged assault on her sister and others by police units.
She alleged that a female officer openly directed male personnel to beat the protesters.
“Yesterday, our people, including MPAs and MNAs, were subjected to violence,” Aleema said.
Imran’s sister claimed that the PTI founder was placed in solitary confinement while party members peacefully exercised their court-approved right to demand justice.
She recalled that police allegedly threw 71-year-old Noreen to the ground, dragged her, forcibly pulled women’s dupattas, slapped them and beat young girls, locking them in vans with male detainees.
“Women officers, armed with batons, acted as Gullu Buttnis, and one even directed the others, shouting: ‘Beat them,'” she added.
“Do you think that by beating us you can silence us? We will return and you cannot intimidate us,” Aleema vowed.
Imran’s sister affirmed that the family would continue to stand outside the jail for her brother, exposing oppressors and injustice.
Aleema recalled that on August 4, 2023, a day before his arrest, Imran was asked to leave the country.
“But he made it clear: I will not abandon my country,” she said, highlighting his 500-day-long trial without personal demands.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned the treatment and manhandling of Imran’s sisters, stating that such coercive and arbitrary tactics could not break the courage of the family, party leaders or workers.
He vowed that the party would continue to strive for the country’s real independence, true democracy, constitutional supremacy and judicial independence come what may.
Noreen vowed that the nation would never forget the tragedies of May 9 and November 26.
“Those who have played with the lives of innocent people will never find peace,” she said, expressing gratitude to those on social media who continued “exposing the truth despite immense pressure”.
“Every act of oppression will be accounted for,” she declared. Noreen stated that the authorities had crossed all limits – assaulting citizens, demolishing homes and smashing mobile phones to silence the people.
“This brutality will not erase the truth, nor break the resolve of the people,” she asserted.
Abbas too condemned the treatment of women outside Adiala Jail, calling the manhandling and snatching of headscarves an “unforgivable national disgrace”.