KARACHI: The PTI held a protest near the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Wednesday to mark three years since the imprisonment of party founder Imran Khan and demand his release.

The demonstration led to traffic disruptions in the surrounding areas after authorities blocked routes leading to the venue, causing severe congestion and leaving commuters stranded for extended periods.

A police official, who wished not to be named, said that some PTI workers and leaders were detained near the Press Club.

They confirmed that police resorted to tear gas shelling and used baton charges to disperse the demonstrators, adding that after the police action, the road was cleared for traffic in the evening.

The PTI in a statement said it staged demonstrations in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Umerkot, Mithi and other parts of Sindh, with participants demanding Imran’s release.

In Karachi, the demonstration was led by PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, Karachi President Raja Azhar, PTI Sindh General Secretary Dr Masroor Sial and Karachi General Secretary Arsalan Khalid. They and other party leaders led workers towards the Karachi Press Club, according to the statement.

“However, according to the party, police blocked all routes leading to the Press Club by placing containers and completely sealed the area to stop protesters from reaching the venue,” the statement claimed.

“PTI workers later held a peaceful demonstration near Zaibunnisa Street and Fawara Chowk in Saddar. The party alleged that police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge against peaceful protesters, leaving several workers injured,” it alleged.

The PTI alleged that the police arrested more than ten workers in the metropolis, including Sial. The party further claimed that six PTI workers were arrested in Pano Aqil and fifteen workers in Kandhkot, with cases also registered against them.

Addressing the protesters, Sheikh demanded the immediate release of Dr Masroor Sial and all detained workers in Karachi, Pano Aqil and Kandhkot, while Raza Azhar said the PTI “formally submitted an application seeking permission for the peaceful protest, yet police still resorted to unlawful use of force”.

Sheikh also took to X and claimed that the route to the KPC had been blocked by containers, slamming the PPP government for sealing off the area.

“The Karachi Press Club is neither a Red Zone nor a sensitive security area, yet the PPP government has blocked public access and trampled the constitutional right to peaceful assembly,” he wrote.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the congestion and issued strict instructions to the Sindh inspector general and the Karachi additional inspector general to restore traffic flow.

“Traffic should be cleared from Sadar, Old City Area, MA Jinnah Road and Zainab Market immediately,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from his office. “Additional traffic police personnel should be deployed on the roads and a report should be submitted.”

He further ordered that queues of cars on Napier Road, Regal Chowk and Bolton Market should also be cleared.

Similarly, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought details from the Karachi Traffic deputy inspector general (DIG) on the traffic jams in the city, with a statement from his office saying that the cause behind the disruption should be determined.

“District police should help traffic police in clearing the roads and highways,” Lanjar was quoted as saying. “The difficulties faced by citizens should be immediately addressed.”

He ordered that traffic police personnel should be stationed on all major arteries and pressure points to manage the flow of traffic, adding that they need to be cleared immediately to restore traffic flow.

“In case of traffic flow being affected, alternative routes should be arranged immediately,” Lanjar added. “Citizens should face minimum difficulties; traffic flow should be ensured at all costs.”

Islamabad

In Islamabad, the party staged a protest on Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road, formerly known as IJP Road, to mark three years since Imran’s imprisonment.

The rally was led by PTI Islamabad Regional President Amir Mughal and Regional General Secretary Malik Amir Ali Awan. Mughal told Dawn that it had been decided that only one protest would take place in the federal capital, with Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road selected for “a show of power”.

Participants chanted slogans and displayed placards highlighting issues including Imran’s imprisonment, the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir, inflation, unemployment, law and order, and other matters.

Hyderabad

Similarly, the PTI staged a rally in Hyderabad, but it remained peaceful and no arrests were made by police as witnessed elsewhere.

The rally was staged on the joint call of PTI and Tehreek Tahfuz Aayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) to mark three years of Imran’s imprisonment, starting from Liberty Chowk and culminating outside the local press club. PTI Hyderabad President Mohsin Ghumman, PTI Sindh Deputy General Secretary Arif Ghafoor Sheikh and others attended.

The rally remained peaceful, but according to Mohsin Ghumman, police did not allow the demonstrators to set up camps. Police, however, didn’t make any arrests, he confirmed.

Activists and workers gathered at Hyder Chowk before reaching the local press club, where they staged a sit-in and played party songs and a recorded clip of Imran’s past speech, amid vociferous slogans.

Addressing protesters outside the press club, PTI leaders paid tributes to party workers for their steadfastness.

Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

While imprisoned, Imran has not met his family or party leaders since his sister Uzma Khanum met him last December, despite a court order from the Islamabad High Court mandating meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

His sisters have staged regular sit-ins on Tuesdays, demanding meetings with the ex-premier and that he be treated for a severe eye condition.

His eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January and he receives government-provided treatment.

The government and the opposition have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran, and not allowing his personal physicians access to him. The government denies these allegations.

The opposition has also demanded that the former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, be treated in the presence of his personal physicians and allowed to meet his family.