LAKKI MARWAT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday launched its street movement in Lakki Marwat district in connection with the February 8 protest aimed at securing the release of the party’s incarcerated founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

As part of the campaign, the party organised a convention in the Sardar Maidadkhel area near Serai Naurang on the call of MPA Tariq Saeed Khan. A large number of PTI workers and local residents attended the gathering.

Speakers said the convention was part of preparations for the February 8 protest and was intended to mobilise people from the district to participate in it. They claimed that Imran Khan’s incarceration had intensified public anger across the country, adding that the strong public response to the street movement indicated the protest would be successful.

Former district naib nazim Arab Khan said the demand for the release of the party’s founder was shared by every citizen and vowed that the Marwat tribesmen would be at the forefront of the protest. He blamed what he described as a “hybrid regime comprising mandate stealers” for the hardships faced by the masses.

Kakki tehsil council chairman Junaid Rashid said the street movement aimed to sensitise people, particularly the youth, about their constitutional right to hold peaceful protests. “People will now exercise their right to come out of their homes to free their beloved incarcerated leader,” he said.

He also said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered from terrorism for over two decades due to what he termed the establishment’s flawed policies. Criticising the federal government for joining the Gaza Peace Board, he alleged that the rulers were working on the agenda of the United States and the Zionist state.

Mr Rashid further alleged that Imran Khan was being kept in solitary confinement and was not allowed to meet his family members.

Addressing the gathering, MPA Tariq Saeed Khan said Imran Khan’s only fault was his patriotism and love for the country and its people. “The street movement will pave the way for a successful February 8 protest to secure the release of the party’s founder,” he added.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2026