LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held demonstrations across Punjab on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s imprisonment, resulting in the arrest of six leaders, including Deputy Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Moin Qureshi.
The protests were organised in response to a call from Khan who urged peaceful resistance against what he described as the erosion of democratic norms. The PTI portrayed these rallies as part of a national movement to restore democracy, and they attracted sizeable crowds in various cities despite tight security measures, mass arrests and a heavy police crackdown.
The Punjab government placed police on high alert and deployed them throughout several parts of the province to prevent large gatherings. In the provincial capital, where the PTI Punjab had planned a big rally, police conducted overnight raids across the city, detaining numerous PTI workers. Police reported about 30 arrests for unlawful assembly and road blockades, but the PTI officials claimed the actual number was significantly higher, estimating at least 300 detentions, including activists picked up during the night.
According to the party’s Punjab media head, Shayan Bashir, more than 200 separate raids were carried out in preparation for the demonstrations. Many of those detained were reportedly released after signing bail agreements. Among those arrested were several sitting members of the Punjab Assembly.
Deputy Opposition Leader Moin Qureshi was taken into custody during a protest, along with MPAs Farrukh Javed Moon, Col Shoaib Amir (retd), Nadeem Sadiq Dogar, Khawaja Salahuddin, Aminullah Khan, and Iqbal Khattak.
PTI officials alleged that police used batons to attack lawmakers’ vehicles, broke windows, and assaulted members during the crackdown.
Footage showing 80-year-old party veteran Rehana Dar being forcibly pushed into a police van went viral on social media and drew condemnation from across party lines.
The PTI labeled this act “a disgraceful sight” and accused the Punjab government of employing “fascist tactics” to suppress dissent.
Despite the clampdown, demonstrations took place in multiple cities and districts across Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Okara, Kasur, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Layyah, Toba Tek Singh, Khanewal, Narowal, and Umar Kot.
In Lahore, large crowds gathered along Canal Road, led by PTI leaders Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar, Malik Usman Hamza Awan, and Hafiz Zeeshan Rasheed. In Okara, a major rally was organized by District President Chaudhry Saleem Sadiq and General Secretary Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Tariq, while in Kasur, Sardar Dawood Aslam Dogar led demonstrations calling for Khan’s release. In various other cities, PTI mobilised through local party offices, drawing participation from youth groups, lawyers, and labour unions.
Additionally, PTI chief organiser Aliya Hamza called on citizens and legal professionals to gather in Toba Tek Singh. On social media, it was reported by the PTI that her vehicle was attacked by police while she attempted to join a protest. In Mandi Bahauddin, Begum Kausar Muhammad Khan Bhatti and Liaqat Ali Bhatti led a large procession, and Layyah’s PTI Youth Wing held a protest at Chowk Azam. In Narowal, a motorcycle rally organised by the labor wing demanded Khan’s release.
Meanwhile, the PTI’s legal wing was also activated, with lawyers protesting outside the Lahore High Court and other judicial venues, showing allegiance to Khan and pledging legal assistance for arrested activists. According to the Insaf Legal Forum’s Lahore President Malik Shujaat Jandran, three teams were stationed at key courts across the city to provide bail support.
As the day unfolded, tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators continued to rise. The PTI officials accused police of harassing their media team and raiding the residence and office of Shayan Bashir.
According to the PTI Punjab Media Cell, the Punjab Police was in a state of panic in light of the protests scheduled for August 5.
On Tuesday, they conducted a raid on the office of the PTI Punjab’s Head of the Media Cell and harassed individuals present in the office while searching for him. Reports were circulating that the police have not only surrounded his office but have also encircled his residence.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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