The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for a transparent investigation into reports that police allegedly manhandled former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters during a protest outside Adiala Jail earlier this week, according to Dawn News.
In a statement issued on X, the rights body voiced serious concern over accounts that family members and PTI representatives were forcibly dispersed as they gathered outside the prison, where Imran Khan is currently being held. HRCP stressed that families’ rights to meet detained relatives, along with the right to peaceful assembly, are protected under both Pakistani law and international human rights conventions.
“Witness and media accounts indicate that family members and party representatives were engaged in a peaceful protest when police intervened, allegedly using physical force,” the commission noted. It urged authorities to guarantee the “rights, safety, and dignity of all involved.”
Tensions flared on Tuesday when PTI leaders and members of Imran Khan’s family attempted to meet him but were denied access by the jail administration. The party accused officials of violating a court order that it claims permits family visits.
In response, PTI supporters staged a sit-in outside the facility, denouncing what they described as obstruction by prison authorities. The party later alleged on X that Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, Dr. Uzma Khan, and other family members were assaulted and detained by police during the confrontation.
The incident has intensified criticism of the government’s handling of political dissent around Imran Khan’s incarceration. PTI leaders maintain that the authorities are using heavy-handed tactics to isolate the party chief and suppress peaceful demonstrations.
HRCP’s call for an inquiry adds further pressure on officials to address the allegations, which come amid broader concerns about political freedoms and the treatment of detainees’ families in Pakistan.
