PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s activists on Tuesday demonstrated and took a vehicle procession from Khyber district to Swabi district against what they called the refusal of authorities to allow party leaders and relatives to meet incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.

Led by Ahmad Khan Niazi, a distant relative of Mr Imran, the procession was taken out from Khyber district.

The PTI’s KP chapter dissociated itself from the protest in KP, saying it was decided by Mr Niazi and not the party leadership.

No prominent PTI leader from the province joined the protest.

The entire party leadership, including MPAs, MNA and senators, staged a protest outside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where Mr Imran has been kept.

No prominent leader present as provincial chapter dissociated itself from protest

On reaching Peshawar, a group of PTI workers joined the procession at the motorway interchange. Similarly, workers from Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi also took part in it.

In Swabi, PTI workers and leaders blocked the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway to traffic near the interchange.

They first gathered near the interchange and then marched on the Qayam Thugham area before blocking the motorway, shouting slogans against the federal government.

The PTI workers and leaders from Swabi, Mardan and Nowshera participated in the procession.

They said until Imran was released, they would keep the motorway closed andthe federal government would be responsible if any untoward incident occurred.

Earlier, PTI district president Sohail Yousafzai told Dawn that if the PTI founder’s sisters were not allowed to meet him in Adiala Jail on Tuesday, party workers would block the motorway.

The Insaf Students Federation, supported by the party leaders and workers, later closed the motorway to traffic. The district president and other leaders struggled to control the charging workers.

During the motorway’s closure, the PTI workers and leaders waited for Mr Imran’s cousin Ahmad Naizi to show up. However, his arrival was delayed, leading to the continued closure of the motorway.

The protesters said the federal government had adopted “cruel tactics” for blocking the release of Mr Imran from jail.

They said their leader was innocent and had been made a political prisoner as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party leaders were afraid of him.

The protesters burned old tyres on the motorway and kept shouting slogans for Imran and against the federal government.

A speaker insisted that the PTI founder was in good health and that one of his sisters met him in the Adiala Jail after being allowed by the government after repeated refusals.

“The pressure of our workers and leaders who are ready to render all possible sacrifices will make authorities free their leader Imran Khan,” he said.

The PTI leaders alleged that through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the federal government had “killed the democratic order” in the country while saving its rule but dealing a strong blow to the country’s interests, especially the economy.

They also said that the wrong policies of the federal government had left the vote worthless.

Travellers suffered due to the closure of the motorway as they had to wait in queues for long hours.

Addressing protesters, Imran Khan’s cousin Ahmad Naizi lauded their enthusiasm and said they all would continue fighting for the release of the party founder from jail until their last breath.

The PTI workers were earlier told that Mr Naizi would announce a new course of action. However, he didn’t say anything about it and just appreciated workers for their efforts to get Mr Imran released.

He said workers should wait for another protest call from the PTI founder and whenever it came, they should step out, The motorway was closed at 5.30pm and opened at 6.20pm.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025