RAWALPINDI – Former prime minister Imran Khan has instructed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to initiate a movement against the government after the 10th of Muharram, according to his sister Aleema Khan.
Speaking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail along with her sisters, Aleema Khan said they were allowed to meet Imran for only 15 minutes. Lawyer Zaheer Abbas was allowed a 1.5-minute meeting, while other lawyers, including Salman Safdar, Salman Akram Raja, and Niazullah Niazi, were denied access.
Aleema quoted Imran as saying that these restrictions are part of efforts to sideline him. He also criticized the impact of the 26th constitutional amendment, claiming it has paved the way for what he described as a de facto martial law. “If you steal the people’s vote and say it doesn’t matter, it means the rule of law has ended,” he reportedly said.
She added that Imran condemned the suppression of media and claimed that people currently sitting in assemblies were not elected through legitimate votes. He expressed concern over a proposed 27th amendment, saying it would be better to declare monarchy outright, as public voice was being eliminated. “Pakistan was founded on the slogan of Kalima. If we continue down this path, the entire nation is being enslaved, and I would rather remain in jail forever than live under this slavery,” he reportedly said.
According to Aleema, Imran praised the PTI’s resistance in the Punjab Assembly and the role of the opposition leader. He proposed that if the 26 members facing restrictions are not allowed to function, they should hold parallel assembly sessions outside the official one. He has given clear instructions to the party leadership—conveyed to lawyer Salman Akram Raja—to begin preparing for a movement after Muharram 10.
Aleema also alleged that Imran is being held in solitary confinement and denied basic rights, including access to books. “He is kept locked for 22 hours a day and allowed only two hours outside,” she said, adding that the party will announce a formal protest plan after the 10th of Muharram.
