ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday said a plan is underway to evict the poor throughout the country while the rich are being made richer.
He said this after interacting with the people of Model Village, Saidpur, in the federal capital, along with another party leader Shoaib Shaheen. “We have come here to represent the victims. A sad situation has come to light after inspecting the area, as the houses of people who have been living here for centuries are being demolished,” he lamented.
Preparations, he claimed, are being made to displace the local population and allocate space to someone else. He said wherever the poor are seen, they are being dispossessed. He added that they also went to Sindh and Cholistan and stood with the victims there. “Similarly, we stand with the residents of Saidpur Village. After displacing the victims, neither housing nor any kind of compensation is being given, a legal battle will be fought on this issue,” he made it clear.
Shoaib Shaheen emphasised that Saidpur is a model village, it should not be demolished, adding that if someone has to be removed, he should be compensated first. According to the CDA, it is necessary to provide a plot and an alternative place.
Separately, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan on Tuesday met his wife, Bushra Bibi, at the Central Jail Rawalpindi. According to prison sources, the meeting was organised within the facility’s conference room and lasted for approximately 35 minutes. During the session, the couple exchanged details regarding their health and overall well-being, while specifically focusing on discussions related to their ongoing medical treatments.
On the other hand, Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, on Tuesday clarified that the party has not issued a formal call for a nationwide protest, stating instead supporters and legislators are being urged to mobilise specifically to demand proper medical care for the former prime minister.
Speaking to reporters, she explained that Imran Khan personally requested party members and the public to come forward and exert the necessary pressure on authorities to ensure that he receives adequate health services. Aleema noted that with nearly 300 members across the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies, the collective presence of these lawmakers serves as a significant check on state action.
According to Aleema, a mass gathering of these 300 elected officials would make mass arrests practically impossible and legally complicated. She argued that any attempt by the government to detain such a large number of parliamentarians would create an international spectacle, drawing global scrutiny to the treatment of the PTI chairman.
The primary objective of this gathering, she maintained, is to create a sustained presence that forces the administration to address concerns regarding Imran Khan’s medical condition and his fundamental rights while in custody.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday joined a sit-in alongside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan’s sisters near the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, amid heightened security measures and enforcement of Section 144 in the twin cities.
CM Afridi arrived at the Factory check-post on the Adiala Road with official protocol. Several PTI leaders, including Salman Akram Raja, Shahid Khattak, Naeem Haider Panjutha and Niazullah Niazi, along with party workers, were present at the sit-in.
Meanwhile, police completely sealed the Adiala Road by placing barriers along the route, while heavy contingents were deployed at multiple locations surrounding the jail and adjoining areas to maintain security.
In a post on X, Aleema said Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi remain “illegally imprisoned” and are being subjected to “systematic psychological and physical torture through unlawful isolation”. She said the party’s primary demand is the immediate transfer of Imran to Shifa International Hospital for comprehensive medical examinations and proper treatment of his eye condition.
She said CM Afridi, along with the entire KP Assembly and PTI lawmakers from the National Assembly and Senate, will participate in a sit-in in solidarity with the former premier, while urging PTI supporters not to visit Adiala jail due to the risk of arrest.
A day earlier, the Rawalpindi administration imposed Section 144 across the district for 15 days through an official notification, declaring Adiala jail and nearby areas a red zone.
Separately, the Islamabad administration reiterated that Section 144 remains in force in the federal capital and warned that no public gatherings would be permitted under the restrictions.
Tensions escalated outside the prison gates on Tuesday as supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intercepted the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand accountability regarding the continued incarceration of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The chief minister was met by a crowd of party workers brandishing banners and placards, who effectively blocked his path to voice their growing frustration. The demonstrators specifically targeted the provincial government’s perceived inaction, questioning what concrete and practical steps the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has taken to facilitate the release of the party’s founding chairman. The encounter quickly turned confrontational as the protesters pressed for specific details on legal and political strategies being employed by the provincial leadership.
The situation further deteriorated when a heated verbal exchange broke out between several party activists and members of the chief minister’s security detail. While the CM eventually moved past the crowd, the incident highlighted a deepening rift and mounting pressure from the party’s grassroots base for more aggressive action from the provincial government.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday stressed the need for resolving political issues through dialogue rather than further complicating the situation, warning that growing mistrust between political stakeholders could worsen the prevailing crisis.
Speaking to the media on the Adiala Road, he said the party hoped that the other side would take “a step back” to help improve the political atmosphere. He criticised authorities for not allowing family members to meet PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi despite concerns over their deteriorating health. He termed the restrictions a “rigid attitude” and demanded that both family members and personal physicians be granted access to them.
“Situations will not improve through mistrust,” he said, adding that negotiations were essential and that the mandate for talks rested with Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
