ISLAMABAD; The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is preparing to launch the second phase of its protest movement on August 14, the country’s Independence Day. Senior party leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser made the announcement during a public gathering in Swabi on Tuesday night.
“This will be the next stage of our movement. We will take to the streets on August 14, and then head towards Sindh,” Qaiser stated. The event marked two years since the arrest of PTI’s founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and was part of a wider demand for his immediate release.
The announcement followed a crackdown by law enforcement agencies, with over 240 PTI activists arrested a day earlier. According to Deputy Inspector General Faisal Kamran, 122 individuals were taken into custody in Lahore alone for attempting to block roads and disturb public order. Security officials reported that the rest were detained during overnight raids across Punjab.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari claimed that more than 200 activists had been detained in Lahore, including at least seven members of the Punjab Assembly. These lawmakers were later released, according to a statement by Punjab police. The released legislators included Deputy Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi, Farrukh Javed Moon, Khawaja Salahuddin, Shoaib Amir, Amanullah Khan, and Iqbal Khattak. Rehana Dar, who had been detained outside Aiwan-e-Adal, was also released, the PTI media cell confirmed.
The arrests occurred amid heightened security measures under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits unlawful gatherings. The restriction was enforced in major cities including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
Commenting on developments in PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Qaiser revealed that Imran Khan had instructed Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to reject any military operations in the province. “We will not permit any such operation here,” Qaiser asserted, adding that PTI would also consider seeking justice through international legal forums.
He further claimed that Khan had been offered various forms of relief in custody, including relocation to Bani Gala, Nathia Gali, or even leaving the country, but had declined.
Meanwhile, addressing a protest rally in Peshawar, CM Gandapur said the public had responded to Imran Khan’s call and that demonstrations would now continue daily. “Details of the party’s plan for August 13 and 14 will be announced soon,” he said, emphasizing the party’s demand for constitutional supremacy and Khan’s release. However, Gandapur’s appearance was cut short when he left without addressing the full gathering, leading to protest by disappointed party workers.
Beyond Pakistan, demonstrations were also held overseas. In Dallas, USA, a PTI protest was led by former Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who addressed a large crowd of overseas Pakistanis. Suri reiterated that Imran Khan was being punished for challenging entrenched power structures. He also repeated PTI’s allegation that the February 2024 general elections had been rigged and that the party was facing systematic political victimization.
