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Former prime minister’s party vows to go ahead with protests even after authorities ban public gatherings in Rawalpindi
Maroosha MuzaffarTuesday 02 December 2025 08:20 GMTComments
CloseFinding Imran Khan: Pakistan’s democracy crisis deepens as ex-PM ‘disappears’ in custody
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Supporters of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan are preparing for a fresh standoff with the police as concerns grow about his wellbeing.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party plans to hold “peaceful protests” on 2 December in front of the Islamabad High Court and outside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to demand access to him.
But authorities appear determined to thwart the demonstrations, likely setting the stage for a standoff.
Khan has been incarcerated in the Adiala jail since August 2023. He and his wife were sentenced earlier this year to 14 and seven years in jail, respectively, on corruption charges they said were fabricated.
The former leader, 73, maintains that the dozens of cases filed against him are designed to prevent his political comeback.
Khan was elected prime minister in 2018 and ousted four years later through a parliamentary vote he accused the country’s powerful military of orchestrating at the behest of the US.
open image in galleryPakistan's prime minister Imran Khan speaks during a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (Reuters)An order by Rawalpindi deputy commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema bans all forms of public assembly – rallies, sit-ins, protests, processions – as well as the use of loudspeakers, display of weapons or potentially violent items and any attempt to breach police restrictions from 1 to 3 December.
In spite of the order, Asad Qaiser, a senior member of Khan’s party, said opposition lawmakers would gather outside the High Court before marching toward the jail.
“The protests have been planned because the Islamabad High Court has failed to enforce its order and the Adiala jail administration is unwilling to implement the court directives,” Mr Qaiser told Dawn newspaper.
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, a senior aide to Khan, said the restrictions imposed to thwart the protests “shows you not only the oppressive nature of this set up but also the fear of Imran Khan”.
“We have the right to peaceful protest. Today, according to the law, his family and legal counsel should be able to meet Imran Khan. Let’s see how the authorities handle his family and his party’s leaders,” he said. “Only further brutality is expected from them.”
open image in gallerySupporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chant slogans during a protest over concerns about their leader's health in Karachi, Pakistan, November 28, 2025. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro (REUTERS)The jailed prime minister’s sons and sisters recently voiced concern for his safety after the family were denied access to him. In spite of a court order guaranteeing weekly visits, Khan’s family said they hadn’t been allowed contact for several weeks.
Khan’s sons said they feared authorities were concealing “something irreversible” about his condition.
“Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” one of his children, Kasim Khan, told Reuters. “Today we have no verifiable information at all about his condition. Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us.”
He had earlier alleged that Khan was “kept alone in a death cell in an environment of complete isolation”.
Khan’s sisters said they had been denied access to him for weeks, despite multiple formal requests to prison authorities.
They said every attempt to meet the former leader in the Adiala jail had been blocked without explanation, forcing them to rely on second-hand updates about his condition that they claimed were neither transparent nor verifiable.
Their frustration boiled over last week when they staged a protest at the jail where they alleged that police had manhandled them. The episode intensified public scrutiny of the government’s handling of Khan’s detention.
open image in galleryPolice commandos escort a vehicle carrying Sohail Afridi, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, as he, along with party workers, arrives to visit him, outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on 27 November 2025 (Reuters)The concerns only grew after members of Khan’s party revealed that he had been denied access to his personal physician for over a year. They said this could be because authorities were hiding serious developments regarding his health.
The Independent has reached out to prison authorities for comment.
Tension over Khan’s wellbeing had been building up since rumours began circulating, stoked by social media and some foreign outlets, that he may have died in custody. Though the claim remains unverified, it has caused outrage among supporters who have demanded transparency and proof of life.
Senior members of Khan’s party have shared similar concerns. Mr Bukhari said last week that the rumours about the leader’s health were gaining traction because of the prolonged blackout. “We should just be allowed to meet him,” he told The Independent, arguing that a single visit would dispel speculation.
Adiala jail authorities have rejected the allegations, insisting the former leader was in good physical condition.
For supporters of Khan’s party who are on edge from years of political struggle and crackdowns, the coming standoff may prove a tipping point.
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