ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, August 5:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) launched its ‘Free Imran Khan’ movement on Monday, marking the second anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s imprisonment. The protest campaign, according to PTI, will continue until the ouster of what it calls the “fake government” and aims to involve all segments of society.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser clarified that while August 5 marks the start of the campaign, it should not be seen as the party’s “final call.” He said the party’s provincial chapters have been instructed to hold rallies, public awareness events, and mass mobilization activities. “The protest will go on until true representatives of the people are allowed to sit in parliament,” he added.
Qaiser also accused the government of initiating a crackdown against party workers, with raids and arrests reportedly underway in Punjab and Kashmir. Section 144 has been imposed in several districts, he claimed.
PTI Punjab’s media cell head, Shayan Bashir, speaking at a press conference with Senator Ali Zafar, stated that police conducted over 200 raids, detaining numerous PTI supporters who were allegedly released after signing affidavits. Bashir revealed that a major rally would take place in Lahore and outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, with demonstrations continuing across the province at “full throttle.” Supporters from different districts have already gathered in Lahore, he added.
In a key statement, Senator Ali Zafar indicated that while Imran Khan had shut the door on talks, “decisions do change in politics.” He stressed that Imran Khan is willing to stay in jail for a decade if it means upholding the rule of law, refusing to bow under pressure or what the party terms “fake cases” and judicial delays.
Zafar noted that the government’s reliance on four major cases—Toshakhana, cipher, Iddat, and the Al-Qadir Trust—has weakened, with the high court suspending most convictions. “Only the Al-Qadir case is being deliberately delayed to obstruct justice,” he said, while calling the treatment of Khan and his wife a violation of human rights.
Regarding the upcoming by-elections, Zafar insisted that they are illegal unless disqualifications are upheld by the Supreme Court. PTI intends to challenge them in court. Several leaders from the party remain disqualified due to May 9 case convictions. In contrast, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed PTI’s August 5 protest as “politics of chaos.” Speaking in Lahore, she accused PTI of being a fascist group aiming to harm state institutions. Referring to Imran Khan’s past lobbying in the US, she labeled the protest campaign as hypocritical, especially on a day when the nation observes solidarity with Kashmiris.
“The same man who sought real freedom is now begging for attention from foreign powers, and his sons are continuing the same narrative,” Bokhari said, calling PTI’s protest on August 5 “highly regrettable.”
While the PTI presses ahead with its demonstrations and accuses the government of repression, the political climate in the country appears to be entering a new phase of confrontation and legal warfare.
