Imran Khan's sister Uzma allowed to meet him in Adiala jail amid his death rumours, PTI protests

Rawalpindi Adiala jail authorities allowed Imran Khan's sister, Uzma Khanum, to visit the former Prime Minister of Pakistan amid death rumours and family asking for proof of his well-being, according to a report by The Dawn.

Uzma Khanum was taken into the prison to meet Khan, while dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters who had come with her waited outside the facility.

Uzma's meeting took place while the PTI organised protests outside the Islamabad High Court and Adiala jail, flagging restrictions on Imran Khan’s visitation rights. The party asserted that his family members and senior leaders had been prevented from visiting him.

Since October 27, nobody has been allowed to meet the PTI founder or his wife, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told the news portal.

Imran Khan’s family and PTI leaders have been trying to meet him for over three weeks, but their requests have reportedly been ignored. This has led to increasing speculation that the former cricketer and politician might have passed away.

However, Adiala jail denied rumours and said, “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention,” Geo News reported.

Khan has been jailed since August 2023 and faces multiple charges, including corruption and terrorism, following his removal from power via the opposition's no-trust motion in April 2022.

Section 144 imposed

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been enforced in Islamabad and Rawalpindi ahead of PTI protests. This legal provision allows district authorities to ban gatherings of four or more individuals within a specific area for a limited time.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry stated that compliance with Section 144 would be enforced in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

“Whether they come to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) or the Adiala jail, action under Section 144 would be carried out without any discrimination,” Chaudhry was quoted in the report. He specifically asked PTI parliamentarians to “abide by the law”.

He further claimed that Section 144 had been imposed in these cities “in light of intelligence reports”.

Linking the issue to terrorism, he was quoted by the Dawn as saying, “Terrorists look for instances [which they can use] to spread fear and make headlines; be it [a] political gathering, courts or important places or offices.”