PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders and workers on Sunday demonstrated for the release of the incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.

A protest rally in the provincial capital was attended by PTI Peshawar region general secretary Sher Ali Arbab, Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem, MNAs Asif Khan, Shandana Gulzar, MPA Fazal Elahi and party’s social media head for KP Ikram Kathana and workers in large numbers.

The speakers termed the arrest of Imran two years ago on the court premises on May 9, 2023 as a ‘black day’.

They said that Mr Khan was arrested without any justification and in an ‘insulting’ manner undermining the rule of law. The speakers strongly condemned the ‘atrocities and repression’ against the workers, and demanded that these incidents be investigated transparently and those responsible be punished according to the law.

They said that PTI would continue its struggle until the release of Imran Khan.

In Dera Ismail Khan, a rally was held for the immediate release of Imran Khan from jail. The rally was led by Captain retired Umar Amin Gandapur, the elder brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The rally began from Al-Amin House and culminated at Fawara Chowk, where thousands of supporters gathered in large numbers. The streets echoed with powerful slogans such as ‘release Imran Khan’ and ‘set Imran Khan free now’.

Addressing the rally, Umar Amin stated that Imran Khan was being subjected to ‘political victimisation’. “This movement will not stop until Imran is released,” he declared. He also warned that if their demands are not met, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will march towards Islamabad.

The participants raised loud slogans against the current government, labelling it as “imported” and rejecting its legitimacy. The crowd expressed strong anger towards the Shehbaz Sharif administration, accusing it of hijacking the public mandate through electoral fraud and manipulating Form-47 to install Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister.

In Bajaur, PTI workers staged multiple demonstrations to push for the instant release of party’s founding chairman Imran Khan and other incarcerated leaders.

The demonstrations, held in Khar, Raghagan, War Mamond and Lowi Mamond areas, were attended by hundreds of party workers and supporters, led by PTI former MNA Gul Dad Khan, MPA Anwarzeb Khan, former lawmaker Gul Zafar Khan and Nawagai tehsil council chairman Dr Khalilur Rehman, respectively.

The participants were holding party flags and photos of Imran Khan.

The demonstrators condemned the prolonged and ‘unlawful’ detention of Imran Khan and other party leaders by the PML-N federal government, and demanded their immediate release.

They also urged the party’s central and provincial leadership to launch a result-oriented movement if the government didn’t release all the jailed leaders.

Demonstrations were also staged in Nowshera, Mohmand and South Waziristan districts in connection with the completion of two years of Mr Khan’s imprisonment.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025