While talking to the press outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where her brother is currently imprisoned, Aleema Khanum, the sister of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was hit with an egg. The event took place on Friday, right after a hearing for the Toshakhana case, in which Khan is a suspect.
A lot of people are sharing video of the event on social media. It shows the egg striking Khanum’s chin and splattering on her clothes. Even though the attack was shocking, Khanum stayed calm and told others around her, “Koi baat nahi, jaane do” (It’s okay, let it go).
A few hours after the attack, the Rawalpindi police detained two ladies who were involved. In a stunning turn of events, the police said that the women were followers of Khan’s own political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The police say that the women were angry because Khanum had not answered inquiries from reporters concerning claims made by reporter Tayyab Baloch. Baloch had said on social media before that Khanum had bought property with money from donations and that the PTI social media team had threatened him after he made these claims.
Journalists who were there questioned Khanum and asked her why she hadn’t answered the claims and why the reporter was being threatened for asking a question.
People inside and outside the PTI have spoken out against the incident. Some PTI supporters on social media called the move “disgraceful” and “unethical,” while others said it was a plot by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan army chief, Asim Munir. Senior figures from opposing parties also spoke out against the incident. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for civility in politics.
Imran Khan is in the middle of a judicial struggle over the Toshakhana issue, in which he is accused of illegally selling gifts he got from the government while he was Prime Minister. He was found guilty of selling things worth more than 140 million Pakistani rupees and was sentenced to three years in jail in August 2023. The hearing for the lawsuit against Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, was put off until Monday.