What happened
Rawalpindi police on Wednesday registered a case under anti-terrorism provisions against the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan, several members of the national and provincial assemblies, and about 1,400 unidentified individuals after unrest on Adiala Road late on Tuesday night, The Express Tribune reported.
The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Imran Khan, in charge of the Adiala checkpost, and includes charges of attempted murder and resisting law enforcement, the paper said. Those named include Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, along with MNA Shahid Khattak, MPA Meena Khan, MNA Shafqat Awan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Shafee Jan.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had called a “peaceful protest” against restrictions on meetings with its founder, but authorities imposed Section 144 across the district, banning public gatherings for 15 days. Despite the curbs and persistent rain in the twin cities, large numbers of PTI leaders and supporters attempted to reach the jail premises and were intercepted at multiple points, according to the report.
Police said protesters pelted stones, injuring nine personnel. According to the complaint, 41 suspects taken into custody at the scene later escaped and 13 vehicles belonging to those who fled were seized; petrol, glass bottles, cotton and matches were recovered from the vehicles. The FIR said both government and private vehicles were damaged by stone-pelting and sticks.
Why it matters
The case marks an escalation in the standoff over access to Imran Khan, who has been held since August 2023 and is serving a sentence at Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act over the May 9, 2023, protests. PTI had called a further protest for April 9 to mark four years since the party was removed from power through a no-confidence motion.
PTI leaders disputed the police account. Core Committee member Seemabia Tahir Satti said the group, including Imran Khan’s sisters, was stopped near DHA Chowk, and alleged that law enforcement agencies had already vacated a hotel in the vicinity, arrested Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan along with several workers, and shut down the hotel after detaining them.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also criticised the operation, alleging that party leaders and workers were detained and subjected to force. He claimed protesters faced heavy shelling and baton charges while routes leading to Adiala Jail were sealed. According to him, party members travelling from different areas were stopped at motorway rest points, including Kallar Kahar and Chakri, where arrests were also made, and at least five members of the Punjab Assembly, including Opposition Leader Moeen Qureshi, were taken into custody.
What is still uncertain
The two accounts of Tuesday night’s events remain far apart, and the FIR’s anti-terrorism framing carries heavier potential penalties than ordinary public-order charges. Special security arrangements had been put in place in Rawalpindi ahead of the protest, and Section 144 remained in force.
The immediate political question is whether the charges and detentions deter or intensify PTI’s planned April 9 protest. PTI has also intensified its calls for Imran Khan’s release after a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court stated that vision in his right eye had dropped to 15 per cent; government officials maintain that he is receiving appropriate medical care. The report did not say when the named individuals would appear before a court or how many of the 1,400 unidentified people police expect to identify.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-04-08. Allegations attributed to PTI officials are presented as their claims.
- Primary source — The Express Tribune: Imran Khan's sisters, PTI leaders among 1,400 others charged under anti-terror laws8 April 2026 · Confirms the Rawalpindi FIR under anti-terrorism provisions, the names of those nominated, the Section 144 order, the police account of stone-pelting and escaped suspects, and PTI's competing account of detentions.
