IK completes two years in jail: PTI to hold protest rallies today
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab is preparing to hold peaceful protest rallies on Tuesday (today) to commemorate the second anniversary of incarceration of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. The party has planned a “surprise for Lahore”.
This was disclosed during a press conference addressed by PTI senior leader Barrister Ali Zafar and Shayan Bashir, Head of the Media Cell for PTI Punjab. During the conference, PTI Punjab released a 12-page white paper titled “Detention of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan: Political Victimisation and Human Rights Abuses (August 2023-August 2025).”
Shayan Bashir stated that Imran Khan will complete two years in jail today. To mark this occasion, the party has decided to organise peaceful protests.
“We have always promoted peace, and our founder, Imran Khan, encourages us to remain peaceful. If Khan’s family is not allowed to visit him, we will stage a major protest outside Adiala Jail and continue to protest daily after August 5,” he said.
He asserted that some individuals wish to see PTI completely dissolved but it will not happen. Over the past four days, he reported that raids had been conducted on the homes of PTI workers, violating their privacy.
“In Lahore alone, over 200 raids took place in the last two days. The authorities are using brutal tactics, detaining individuals and demanding bribes for their release, and in some cases, asking them to sign affidavits,” he added.
Barrister Ali Zafar highlighted that on August 5, Imran Khan will have completed two years in confinement.
“Four cases have been filed against him, starting with the Toshakhana case, in which it is alleged that he received gifts worth millions of rupees. These cases are being tried in jail rather than in court, and lawyers have been denied the opportunity to represent him in the Toshakhana case. During that time, we were locked in a room,” he explained.
He claimed that each case against the PTI founder is based on false accusations. When he spoke with Khan, the former prime minister expressed his commitment to fighting for the rule of law and his faith in the judiciary to deliver justice.
Currently, he stated, Khan is confined to a 10-foot room, and the authorities do not permit him to meet with his family freely. Recently, even his lawyers have been denied access, and cases have been filed against his wife to apply pressure on him.
He mentioned that through legal warfare (judicial proceedings), an attempt was made to seize their electoral symbol, the “bat”, to weaken the party in the last elections. Despite this, the PTI still emerged victorious.
“The nation stood with us; they declared that even without the bat, they would still vote for Imran Khan,” he added.
He expressed confidence that difficulties would soon come to an end and that Imran Khan would be released; “the day his hearing takes place, victory will be theirs.”
The PTI’s dossier outlines a series of issues including political persecution, judicial manipulation, electoral interference, and state-led repression. It claims that Imran Khan has faced over 186 politically motivated FIRs across the country since August 2023.
According to the report, convictions in controversial cases, such as the Toshakhana reference, the cipher case, and the Al-Qadir Trust case, were delivered through closed-door trials that were characterised by procedural violations and media blackouts, in blatant defiance of Articles 10-A and 14 of the Constitution.
From the party’s perspective, the dossier emphasised violations of court orders, human rights abuses, electoral engineering, subversion of democracy, and suppression of peaceful protests.
The white paper makes several demands, including the immediate release of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and all political prisoners who are jailed for peaceful expression or association. It also calls for the reversal of all politicied convictions and the initiation of fair retrials overseen by independent benches and international observers.
Furthermore, the document demands the formation of an impartial judicial commission to investigate police brutality, forced disappearances, attacks on peaceful protesters, and custodial torture.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025