At the very least 200 arrested from Lahore, says social gathering spokesperson, as hundreds march throughout the nation on second anniversary of ex-PM’s imprisonment.
Hundreds of supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan are rallying throughout the nation to demand his launch on the second anniversary of his imprisonment.
Safety officers on Tuesday stated dozens of activists belonging to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering have been arrested, with most detentions made on Monday night time and early on Tuesday within the japanese metropolis of Lahore, the place the PTI has referred to as an enormous demonstration later within the day.
At the very least 200 activists had been arrested from Lahore, stated PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari, including that the protests would nonetheless happen. Lahore is the capital of Punjab, the nation’s most politically essential area and residential to half of its inhabitants.
Khan, a well-liked cricket star, was elected prime minister in 2018. However as soon as in workplace, he fell out with Pakistan’s highly effective army and was toppled in 2022 by a vote in parliament. His arrest in Might 2023 on a number of prices spurred widespread protests towards the army, resulting in a crackdown on the social gathering.
In a message attributed to Khan on his social gathering’s X account on Monday, he urged supporters to “come out and maintain peaceable protests till a real democracy is restored within the nation”.
Khan’s social gathering posted a video on its X account on Tuesday, displaying a former PTI candidate, Rehana Dar, being carried right into a police van by personnel with riot gear.
“An elder like Rehana Dar is being dragged by the shameless Punjab Police, a disgraceful sight,” the PTI stated.
An elder like Rehana Dar is being dragged by the shameless Punjab Police, a disgraceful sight. Maryam Nawaz and IG Punjab have sunk to a brand new low with this act. Beneath this martial legislation of Asim Munir, they’ve deserted all sense of disgrace and decency! pic.twitter.com/gK0HsJoDOE
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 5, 2025
Social media movies additionally confirmed no less than two different individuals being detained in Lahore.
The PTI’s Multan chapter alleged that its Lahore rally was “attacked by police”, Pakistani newspaper Daybreak reported on Tuesday.
“Rallies are being held at this time on the orders of the PTI founder,” PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan stated in an announcement, including they’d proceed till Khan’s launch.
The rallies had been held regardless of the federal government’s order barring “unlawful” gatherings and huge assemblies, Pakistan’s Geo TV reported.
پشاور سے سیکڑوں گاڑیوں پر مشتمل قافلہ صوابی کی جانب روانہ ہو گیا ہے pic.twitter.com/3Yr5LiHHWB
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 5, 2025
Translation: A convoy of a whole bunch of autos from Peshawar has set off in the direction of Swabi.
In an announcement on Monday, police stated safety was beefed up in main cities nationwide.
At a information convention on Monday, Khan’s social gathering was accused of all the time creating “chaos” by Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson of the provincial authorities.
“No political social gathering could be barred from politics in Pakistan, however a terrorist organisation disguised as a political social gathering shouldn’t be allowed to disrupt Pakistan’s peace,” Bukhari stated.
PTI chief and former Nationwide Meeting speaker Asad Qaiser stated the social gathering has pledged to exhibit peacefully and was not searching for confrontation, Geo TV reported.
Khan says the costs towards him – starting from terrorism to disclosure of official secrets and techniques – are politically motivated. He was convicted in January in a corruption case, whereas being acquitted of different prices or receiving suspended sentences.
Earlier than the protest name, a whole bunch of Khan’s social gathering members, together with a number of parliamentarians, had been convicted late final month on prices associated to the 2023 protests towards his arrest.
Khan’s social gathering emerged as the one largest within the 2024 election, and it says rigging robbed it of extra seats. Different events merged to kind a authorities underneath Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has denied coming to energy by electoral fraud.
