Imran Khan’s Supporters Rally Nationwide Amid Arrests and Crackdown

Imran Khan’s supporters held nationwide protests on his imprisonment anniversary, despite arrests. His party claims the charges are political and accuses the government of election rigging. Authorities continue cracking down on PTI.

Thousands of supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have taken to the streets across the country, marking the second anniversary of his imprisonment with widespread rallies demanding his release.

According to security officials on Tuesday, dozens of activists affiliated with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested. Most of the arrests reportedly occurred late Monday night and early Tuesday morning in Lahore, where the PTI had announced plans for a large-scale protest later in the day.

PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari stated that at least 200 activists had been detained in Lahore alone. Despite the arrests, he affirmed that the demonstrations would proceed as planned. Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, is a political stronghold and home to nearly half of Pakistan’s population.

Khan, a former cricket icon, rose to power in 2018 as Prime Minister. However, tensions with Pakistan’s influential military led to his ousting in 2022 through a parliamentary vote. His arrest in May 2023 on a series of charges ignited widespread anti-military protests, prompting a significant crackdown on his party.

In a message attributed to Khan and posted on his party’s X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, he urged his followers to “come out and hold peaceful protests until a true democracy is restored in the country.”

According to Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan continues to enjoy strong grassroots support, with tens of thousands of people participating in demonstrations in the region.

Nevertheless, reports of police crackdowns on protestors have begun to surface. On Tuesday, PTI’s official X account shared a video showing Rehana Dar, a former PTI candidate, being forcibly placed into a police van by officers clad in riot gear. The party described the incident as disgraceful, stating, “An elder like Rehana Dar is being dragged by the shameless Punjab Police—a disgraceful sight.”

Additional videos circulating on social media captured at least two more arrests in Lahore.

Meanwhile, the PTI Multan chapter alleged that their planned rally in Lahore was “attacked by police,” according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan reiterated that the demonstrations were being held in response to direct orders from Khan and would continue until his release.

Despite official restrictions prohibiting “illegal” gatherings and large assemblies, as reported by Geo TV, PTI supporters persisted with protests nationwide.

In a Monday statement, police confirmed that security had been heightened across major cities. During a news conference the same day, Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson for the provincial government, accused Khan’s party of consistently creating “chaos.”

“No political party can be barred from politics in Pakistan,” she said. “But a terrorist organisation disguised as a political party is not allowed to disrupt Pakistan’s peace.”

In contrast, PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser emphasized that the party had pledged to demonstrate peacefully and was not seeking confrontation, as reported by Geo TV.

Imran Khan, who has faced multiple allegations ranging from terrorism to the unauthorized disclosure of state secrets, maintains that the charges are politically driven. In January 2025, he was convicted in a corruption case, though he has been acquitted or given suspended sentences in other cases.

In the weeks leading up to the protest call, hundreds of PTI members, including several former lawmakers, were convicted on charges stemming from the 2023 protests against Khan’s initial arrest.

Al Jazeera’s Hyder reported that the government has continued to pursue legal action against PTI’s top leadership, with some individuals receiving sentences of up to 10 years on anti-terrorism charges.

Despite facing legal setbacks, Khan’s party emerged as the single largest party in the 2024 general election. However, PTI has alleged that widespread vote rigging deprived it of a parliamentary majority. In the aftermath, rival parties formed a coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has consistently denied claims of electoral fraud.