RAWALPINDI: Several PTI workers attacked journalists outside Adiala Jail on Monday during Aleema Khan’s media talk, drawing condemnation from the journalist community and prompting calls for greater protection of press freedom.
PTI workers clashed with journalists over questions put to Aleema Khan by reporters. During the chaos, PTI workers thrashed two journalists from private television channels and dragged them by collars. Following the violence and verbal abuse, journalists boycotted Aleema Khan’s media talk.
Aleema Khan arrived to speak with the media, accompanied by her sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi along with a large number of PTI workers. As a normal practice a journalist from a private channel asked Aleema why the PTI workers were trolling and threatening her on social media. Initially Aleema Khan did not respond to the question. But when the journalist repeated the question tensions mounted. PTI leaders and lawyers including Naeem Haider Panjotha and Sajjad Burki allegedly incited workers to remove the journalist. The party workers then attacked the journalist, dragged him by his collar, and hurled abuse. Another journalist from a different private channel was also pushed to the ground. The PTI workers continued to assault the journalists and used inappropriate language while Aleema Khan stood there and watched. Later the Police intervened and arrested two PTI workers.
In response to the incident, the journalists boycotted Aleema Khan’s media session. The two affected reporters submitted a formal request to register a case against the PTI workers at the Adiala Jail police checkpoint.
The incident drew strong condemnation from the journalist community. The media professionals described the attack as a direct assault on press freedom and accountability. They emphasised that “ asking questions from Aleema Khan cannot and should not be treated as a crime” and demanded protection for reporters carrying out their professional duties.
Meanwhile, Police have registered a FIR following the assault and harassment of journalists outside Adiala Jail. The complaint was filed by a special correspondent for a private TV channel. He was present at Gate-1 of Adiala Jail on 8 September 2025 for media coverage.
According to the written complaint, the assault was a premeditated response to a question he had earlier asked Aleema Khan regarding alleged property purchases in the United States. The journalist stated that during the media talk, PTI leader Naeem Panjutha shouted: “Teach him a lesson for asking Aleema Khan about the properties.” Following this, around 35 to 40 individuals allegedly attacked the correspondent. He was beaten, pushed to the ground, and his microphone was broken. An unidentified individual also snatched his mobile phone. When fellow journalists attempted to intervene, they too were assaulted.
Upon receiving the complaint, police arrived at the scene. SP Saddar Nabeel Khokhar, ASP Zainab Ayyub, and SHO Aizaz Azeem led a contingent to control the situation. Some PTI activists were taken into custody at the scene while most of the other suspects fled. The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including Section 506 – Criminal intimidation, Section 147 – Rioting, Section 149 – Unlawful assembly, Section 382 – Theft, Section 427 – Mischief causing damage.
Additional police forces have been deployed to help locate and arrest the remaining suspects. In his complaint, the tv correspondent named Aleema Khan, Naeem Panjutha, Intisar Satti, and several others. He has requested that legal action be taken against all individuals involved in the incident.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, strongly condemned the violence by PTI workers against journalists, calling it an attack on press freedom and democracy. He described such violence as intolerable and dangerous for democracy. Bilawal emphasized that freedom of expression and press are vital to any democratic society. He reaffirmed PPP’s longstanding commitment to protecting journalists’ rights and pledged to continue advocating for their safety and freedoms.