KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday staged a rally to demand release of party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

The protest march was led by PTI-Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh while Karachi president Raja Azhar, Keamari district president Engineer Abdul Rehman, MPA Sarbuland Khan, and other provincial and district leaders participated in the rally.

The rally also saw participation from a large number of PTI workers and citizens.

The protesters held placards and banners inscribed with slogans against authoritarianism and in support of Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other incarcerated PTI leaders and activists.

Addressing the participants, Mr Sheikh stated that under Imran Khan’s directives, the movement for real freedom had intensified across Sindh after Muharram, with daily rallies and protests taking place.

“This movement will reach its peak on August 5, when people from every area of Sindh will come out on streets to express solidarity with their true leader,” he said.

He strongly criticised the treatment meted out to Imran Khan in prison, claiming that the former prime minister was being subjected to conditions worse than those faced by terrorists. “He is kept in solitary confinement without access to TV, newspapers, or even books. This is dictatorship at its worst,” said Sheikh.

He further said that Mr Khan is confined to a small cell for 22 hours in a day in a grave violation of human rights. “Even court verdicts are being trampled. Imran Khan is not allowed to even speak to his sons on the phone,” he said.

The PTI Sindh president warned that the state would be held accountable if any harm comes to Imran Khan. “The Punjab government will be directly responsible for the risks to his health,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025