• Jailed leader says time for negotiations has passed, protest only route left
• Gohar finally meets party founder, asks supporters to prepare for ‘peaceful but powerful’ campaign
• Aleema says Imran’s sons, family will also join movement

ISLAMABAD: As PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday met party founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail after more than a month of repeated attempts to gain access to the incarcerated former premier, who is said to be kept in solitary confinement, the party founder issued a nationwide protest call.

The meeting between the two party leaders revolved around the protest movement announced by Imran Khan, which will reach its “peak” on Aug 5 to mark the second year of his incarceration in multiple cases. According to a statement on his X account in the evening, Imran Khan ruled out any kind of dialogue, saying the time for dialogue had passed.

“For the sake of the country, I have repeatedly talked about negotiations, but now the time for negotiations has passed. After the 26th Constitutional Amendment…the hope we had for justice from the courts has completely disappeared, so now no other method can bring the Pakistani nation out of this swamp of lawlessness except a nationwide protest movement,” the PTI founder said. It is pertinent to note that he does not have access to his social media accounts and someone else posts on his behalf.

“The complete plan of action for the nationwide movement will be presented this week - on August 5, my unjust imprisonment will complete 2 years. This day will be the culmination of our nationwide protest movement,” he said. “Now there will be no negotiations of any kind with anyone! There will be protests only on the streets so that the nation can get rid of the puppet rulers imposed by force,” he added.

Speaking to reporters outside the prison, Barrister Gohar confirmed that the PTI founder asked party workers, supporters, and the general public to prepare for a peaceful but powerful protest campaign starting August 5. “This is not just about political revenge anymore—it’s about every citizen’s rights being stolen. The founder has said this movement should now take the shape of a second Pakistan Movement,” Barrister Gohar stated. He revealed that Khan, even while in solitary confinement, remained “mentally sharper and more determined than ever” and “despite being silenced, the founder has given us a message—prepare, mobilise, and raise your voice peacefully but fearlessly”.

The PTI leader also criticised the prison authorities for continued mistreatment and isolation of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, while also highlighting their prison conditions, disregard of court orders, and systemic efforts to break political resistance through isolation.

Mr Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, who did not meet her brother, also spoke to media persons outside the jail alongside her sisters. She also talked about the protest movement announced by her brother, claiming that the entire family will be a part of the movement. Ms Khan said that Imran’s sons, Qasim and Suleiman, will go to the US to highlight injustices meted out to their father before coming to Pakistan to become part of the movement and Imran Khan had been informed about this. However, Ms Khan did not clarify if the duo will join the movement before Aug 5 or after. She said a plan regarding their visit was being formulated.

‘Solitary confinement’

Ms Khan also painted a grim picture of her brother’s conditions in prison. “He has been kept in complete solitary confinement for months. For the past week, even his newspapers, books, and television have been taken away. What sort of justice is this?” she asked.

She revealed that despite repeated legal requests and court directives, even basic human rights were being denied. “He is not a criminal. He is the former elected prime minister of this country. Yet he is being treated worse than convicted felons,” she claimed.

Ms Khan said that the PTI founder had told her during a previous brief meeting that his books were lying in the deputy superintendent’s room, inaccessible to him. “What threat do books pose to the state?” she questioned. “His voice is being silenced, his mind is being isolated, and now they want to completely disconnect him from the outside world.” “Even his doctor has not been allowed for 10 months,” he alleged.

Both Ms Khan and Barrister Gohar emphasised that Imran Khan’s health was being deliberately ignored. “For ten months, his personal physician—who has known his medical history for decades—has been denied access. If something happens, who will be responsible?” Ms Khan asked.

She also stated that Bushra Bibi was undergoing similar conditions in her prison cell. “She has been kept in solitary confinement as well. There are no visitors, no sunlight, no communication—just absolute seclusion. Is this how women are treated in custody in Pakistan?”

She said the authorities believe that by isolating the PTI founder, they can dismantle his influence and demoralise his supporters.

“Let me tell you clearly: he cannot be broken.

His spirit is stronger than ever. He told us—whatever happens, his message will reach the people,“ Ms Khan said, referring to Imran Khan’s recent communication from prison.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025