Pakistan’s Islamabad has issued an order banning public gatherings in the capital city after Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf announced on Monday to stage countrywide protests on August 5.
The administration invoked Section, warning people found in “illegal activities” would be arrested immediately.
Imran Khan’s PTI To Stage Nationwide Protest
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday, August 4, announced that it will stage nationwide protests on August 5 to mark two years since the arrest of its founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan.
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The party said the protests aim to highlight what it calls the unjust and unlawful incarceration of Khan, who has remained behind bars since August 5, 2023. He was arrested from his residence in Lahore following his conviction in a corruption case and has since been held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Khan faces multiple convictions in separate cases.
The demonstrations are being organised under the broader umbrella of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a coalition of opposition parties allied with PTI. The alliance has repeatedly described Khan’s detention as “illegal” and has vowed to intensify its campaign for his release.
PTI Workers Arrested Ahead of Protests
Ahead of the planned demonstrations, PTI leader and adviser to Imran Khan, Zulfikar Bukhari, criticised the Punjab government’s alleged crackdown on party workers.
“Fearing protest by PTI, the Punjab Government has started arresting party workers, descending into madness by barging into their residences last night, without warrant or providing any arrestable offence,” Bukhari said in a statement.
He claimed that arrests had taken place in both Lahore and Rawalpindi, although he did not cite specific figures. “Their crime? Dare to state a protest, which is yet to happen. That’s not lawful, that’s tyranny,” Bukhari added.
PTI Fighting For Imran Khan’s Release
At an emergency press conference held on Sunday at the PTI District Secretariat in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TTAP Secretary General Asad Qaiser outlined the strategy for the protests.
“On August 5, a nationwide protest will be held under the flags of Pakistan, the PTI, and the white flag of peace,” Qaiser announced. He emphasised that the demonstrations would remain peaceful and within the legal and constitutional framework of the country.
Qaiser said it marks two years since Khan’s “illegal” arrest and called for open and transparent legal proceedings. “If there is any evidence against Khan, then it should be presented in an open court,” he stated.
Praising Khan’s leadership, Qaiser said, “Imran Khan is the most popular and dignified leader of this nation, who not only elevated Pakistan’s image internationally but also gave the nation a vision.” He labelled Khan’s continued imprisonment a “direct attack on democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
