PK-LIVE NEWS

• PTI holds protests, rallies countrywide to mark third anniversary of Imran Khan’s arrest
• Party claims one MNA, four MPAs, several workers arrested in Lahore
• Police use teargas, baton-charge Karachi protesters; 10 workers detained

PESHAWAR / LAHORE / KARACHI / ISLAMABAD: The opposition PTI marked the third anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest on Wednesday with protests and rallies across the country, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned of a march on Islama­bad next month, while police action and arrests were repor­ted from Lahore and Karachi.

In a fiery speech at a large rally organised to mark three years of Imran Khan’s imprisonment, CM Afridi warned that the PTI would march towards Islamabad on Sept 27 if the cases of Mr Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were not heard on merit and restrictions on their meetings with lawyers, family members and political leaders were not lifted.

A large number of people from across the province atten­ded the gathering, which was also addressed by PTI Chair­man Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and PTI provincial president MNA Junaid Akbar Khan.

CM Afridi alleged that Imran Khan would be released “within 30 minutes” if the judiciary were independent and decided his cases on merit.

Without naming any judges or courts, the chief minister said: “You must do justice, otherwise we are coming on Sept 27.”

He said the PTI’s second demand was that doctors, friends, lawyers and political leaders should be allowed to meet Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, claiming that such meetings had been stopped for the last eight months.

He urged the youth in the rally and across the country to come forward for their survival and the security of their future, saying no one from abr­oad would come to help them.

He said Imran Khan was in jail for the future and democracy of Pakistan and urged PTI workers to accelerate their struggle for his release.

“Imran Khan would have come out of jail immediately if he had signed a deal with the powers that be,” he said, adding that Mr Khan would never surrender.

CM Afridi also took the oath from rally participants that they would not be scared of bullets, tanks and rockets on the occasion of their march on Sept 27.

He also held the federal government and institutions responsible for the resurgence of terrorism in the province, saying the insurgency had engulfed KP.

MNA, MPAs held in Lahore

In Lahore, the PTI Central Punjab leadership organised a protest rally near the civil secretariat and civil cour­­ts, drawing hundreds of wor­kers carrying party flags and chanting slogans for the release of Mr Khan and other political prisoners.

The party workers had largely stayed away from street protests in recent months for fear of arrests, which, according to PTI leaders, had on several occasions led to the ransacking of their homes and businesses and detention of family members.

This time too, a large contingent of police was deployed to block PTI leaders and workers from protesting. The police baton-charged party workers and journalists and arrested parliamentarians, workers and a journalist covering the protest.

PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Bilal Ejaz said that police had arrested one MNA, four MPAs and several party workers, besides baton-charging workers who were chanting slogans for the release of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and other political prisoners.

Strongly condemning the “illegitimate” incarceration of Imran Khan and other political leaders and workers, Mr Ejaz said it was heartening that people had come out to participate in the PTI protest despite “oppression”.

The PTI said protests were also held in Fais­al­abad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Kasur, Jhang, Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan and other districts of Punjab.

The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan’s (TTAP) Punjab chapter also condemned “indiscriminate police violence” against “peaceful demonstrators” outside Aiwan-i-Adl.

Karachi protest blocked

In Karachi, an hours-long cat-and-mouse game between police and PTI workers unfolded in the city’s downtown as authorities foiled the party’s attempt to stage a protest outside the Karachi Press Club by sealing all approaches with shipping containers and deploying heavy police contingents. Police later used baton charges and teargas shelling and made arrests.

Despite the restrictions, a large number of PTI workers succeeded in staging a demonstration near Zainab Market, where party leaders addressed supporters.

The protest and security operation disrupted traffic, triggered panic among commuters and traders and forced many businesses in parts of Saddar to shut earlier than usual in an area that typically remains bustling until late evening.

The police had sealed all roads leading to the Karachi Press Club with large containers from the afternoon, effectively bloc­king access to the venue where the PTI had planned to hold its main protest.

Groups of party workers attempted to reach the press club through different routes but were stopped at various points before converging near Zainab Market.

With no access to the Karachi Press Club, PTI leaders shifted the protest to Zainab Market.

The PTI alleged that more than 10 workers were arrested in Karachi. The party also said six workers were detained in Pano Aqil and 15 in Kandhkot, where criminal cases were also registered against them.

Addressing participants, Haleem Adil Sheikh said the turnout demonstrated public support for Imran Khan despite res­trictions imposed by the authorities.

He demanded the imm­ediate release of detained party workers and all political prisoners, saying Pakistan’s political and economic crises could only be resolved through free and transparent elections.

Islamabad rally

In Islamabad, the PTI held a protest at Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road, formerly known as IJP Road, to mark the completion of three years of Imran Khan’s imprisonment.

The protest rally was led by PTI Islamabad Regional President Amir Mughal and Regional General Secretary Malik Amir Ali Awan.

Mr Mughal told Dawn that the party had decided to hold only one protest in the federal capital and IJP Road was chosen for the demonstration.

Rallies in Hyderabad, Larkana

In Hyderabad, PTI activists brought out a rally on Wednesday evening to demand the release of Imran Khan. The rally remained peaceful and no arrests were made by police, unlike in the past.

Addressing the rally, PTI Hyderabad District President Mohsin Ghumman said police did not allow the party to set up camps. However, police did not make any arrests, he confirmed.

Activists gathered at Hyder Chowk and then reached the local press club, where they staged a sit-in amid party songs, a recorded clip of Imran Khan’s past speech and slogans.

Addressing protesters outside the press club, PTI leaders paid tribute to party workers for their steadfastness.

In Larkana, leaders and workers of TTAP, MWM and PTI staged a protest outside the Larkana Press Club.

Mohammad Hussain Khan in Hyderabad and M.B. Kalhoro in Larkana also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2026