Imran Khan, the incarcerated founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has expressed his desire for his party’s anti-government protest to “hit peak” on August 5th, marking two years since his imprisonment. This was revealed by his sister, Aleema Khan, on Tuesday.
Aleema quoted the jailed PTI patron-in-chief’s directives from last week, stating that the party should initiate its movement against the government after the 10th of Muharram.
Speaking to journalists at Gorakhpur check post after meeting the former premier at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, along with Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, Aleema confirmed: “Muharram 10 has passed […] the party will unveil its strategy now.”
She claimed that the PTI founder would lead the protest from jail, and criticized the party leadership, quoting Khan as saying that he was “free in prison while they are imprisoned outside.”
“Our family knows about the protest plan,” Aleema stated, though she remained tight-lipped about the specific details of the upcoming demonstration. She added that they would inform the media about the plan at an appropriate time. The protest route—whether it starts from Peshawar and proceeds to Lahore—will be decided and disclosed by the party, she added.
She also mentioned that Khan’s entire family would participate in the upcoming protest. Khan had conveyed that those unable to carry the burden of the political movement should step aside, she added.
Reacting to the suspension of 26 PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, Aleema alleged that the suspension was made to “appease [Punjab Chief Minister] Maryam Nawaz.”
Another of Khan’s sisters, Noreen Niazi, informed reporters that he was in good health, but jail authorities had denied him access to television, newspapers, and reading material for the past week. Aleema further alleged that the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra, were being kept in solitary confinement, adding that Khan has not been allowed to see his personal physician for 10 months. She also blamed the Punjab Chief Minister for her alleged involvement in imposing restrictive measures on the former premier in jail.
CM Gandapur to Lead Protest
Last week, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that his party initially postponed the nationwide protests due to the Iran-Israel war, then delayed it further out of respect for Muharram. In the first phase, demonstrations would be held in provinces and districts, the PTI spokesperson confirmed.
When questioned about potential risks, he emphasized that party workers should not be exposed to live bullets, remarking, “When the first bullet was fired, the PTI founder won.” Regarding KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur’s statement about carrying weapons to the protest, Akram clarified that Gandapur was referring to self-defense. “What the chief minister meant was that everybody has the right to self-defence,” he added. The PTI spokesperson also confirmed that the PTI founder had directed Gandapur to lead the protest.
