Pakistan: PTI claims water cannons used to disperse protesters, calls it ‘assault on constitutional rights’
Islamabad, Dec. 10 (LatestNewsX) – The Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) said on Wednesday that authorities had used water‑cannon strikes to break up a sit‑in by Imran Khan’s sisters, who were outside Adiala Jail after the prison officials refused to let them meet their founder. In a post on X, the party slammed the police for firing water cannons at PTI supporters, despite a court order allowing the prisoners to see Imran Khan, as reported by Dawn. “This brutal crackdown on a peaceful sit‑in violates basic human rights and freedom of assembly in freezing weather!” the statement read, and it shared a video showing the crowds fleeing the scene. The PTI Islamabad message on X added, “Punjab Police’s fascist actions have started once again! In severe cold, peaceful workers outside Adiala Jail were attacked with water cannons; these cowardly actions will neither be able to suppress our voices nor diminish our morale.” It also noted that the reason for the sit‑in was the repeated denial of a visit to the jailed founder. The post condemned the use of water cannons as a “shameless violation of Imran Khan’s prisoner rights” and an “outright assault on the constitutional rights of people who gathered to protest the regime’s atrocities.” PTI urged international human‑rights bodies not to stay silent about “such inhumane and authoritarian actions in Pakistan.”
Later that same day, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan and other PTI members began a sit‑in outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after the authorities again blocked their meeting with the leader, local outlets said. In video statements en route to the prison, Aleema accused the state of law‑breaking while asserting that PTI has not performed any illicit activity, Dawn reported. She added, “If they do operate illegally and we do our work according to the law, and if they are right and we are wrong, then that shows just how our system works.” Aleema also mentioned that Khan has been denied a visit from his personal physician for the last 14 months.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on corruption and terrorism charges following his ouster by a no‑confidence motion in 2022, filed a plea with the Islamabad High Court last week. He asked for permission to undergo medical examinations at Shaukat Khanum Hospital within three days, a petition submitted on his behalf by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. The request asks that the court mandate monthly check‑ups at Shaukat Khanum and grant full access to the medical team, reflecting Khan’s health history, according to reports from The News International. The plea also seeks that a copy of the medical report be provided to Khan’s family and presented in court.
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