‘Federal government wants chaos’: PTI readies street protest over Imran Khan

Imran Khan jail standoff escalates

Fresh political tensions have erupted in Pakistan amid growing speculation over the health and detention conditions of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, as his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), announced nationwide protests accusing the federal government of deliberately fuelling unrest.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi alleged that the authorities were seeking instability but said the party would respond through peaceful mobilisation. “The federal government wants chaos, but the PTI does not want riots. We are ready for all possible action and sacrifices. The PTI protests will be peaceful,” he said.

Afridi announced that party workers and lawmakers would gather outside the Islamabad High Court and Adiala Jail on Tuesday to show solidarity. “The PTI will hold protests outside the Islamabad High Court and Adiala jail on Tuesday. All PTI parliamentarians and workers will gather for protest and show solidarity with Khan and his sister,” he said, adding, “Khan is in solitary confinement and isolation since November 4, we want to know where he is.”

He further alleged systematic political targeting, saying, “The federal government is giving unfair treatment to the PTI, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its people.”

Khan has been held at Adiala Jail for more than two years in multiple cases. In recent days, his sisters, senior party leaders and Afridi have camped outside the prison, pressuring the government of Shehbaz Sharif to allow family visits. The continued refusal by jail authorities to permit access has intensified public anger.

Speaking to CNN-News18 last week, Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum questioned the secrecy surrounding his detention. “Why aren’t they letting us meet him? Why create this attention? It would be so simple if they allowed him to meet his family and party workers,” she said. She added that she did not believe the authorities would physically harm him inside the jail. “They wouldn’t. People would turn on them. People will not spare them — and they won’t find a flight out of the country.”

Adding to the pressure, Khan’s son Kasim Khan publicly demanded evidence that his father is alive. “We demand proof of Imran Khan’s life,” he said in a social media post. “My father has been under arrest for 845 days. For the past six weeks, he has been kept in solitary confinement in a death cell with zero transparency.”

He accused the authorities of a deliberate blackout, saying, “this absolute blackout is not a security protocol”. “Rather it is a deliberate attempt to hide my father’s condition and prevent our family from knowing whether he is safe.”

On Friday, Aleema Khan filed a contempt of court petition at the Islamabad High Court against the jail superintendent and others for violating a prior order restoring twice-weekly meetings. The legal challenge marks the latest escalation in a standoff that is rapidly gaining national and international attention.