ISLAMABAD – August 6, 2025:
What was touted as a defining moment in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) political resurgence ended with a whimper on Monday, as efforts to mobilize large-scale protests in support of imprisoned party leader Imran Khan fell short of expectations, particularly outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
Despite a call by Khan—issued through internal party channels—for peaceful demonstrations aimed at “restoring true democracy,” the show of strength was undercut by sweeping arrests, road blockades, and a tightly coordinated security crackdown.
In Rawalpindi, the epicenter of the protest plan, authorities enforced Section 144 and restricted access to Adiala Jail with heavy police deployments and road closures. Only a few party leaders and supporters reached the vicinity. Senator Humayun Mohmand and MNAs Maulana Naseem Ali Shah and Sajid Khan Mohmand were stopped at the Dahgal checkpoint. Of the six PTI leaders cleared to meet Khan, only spokesperson Niazullah Niazi reached Gate 5 before being ordered to leave.
Khan’s three sisters, who attempted to visit via the Chakri Interchange, were also denied access. Meanwhile, prominent lawyers Shamsa Kayani and Owais Younis were blocked at Gorakhpur, and senior figures Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa, and Mehmood Khan Achakzai were intercepted near a private housing society along Adiala Road.
The muted turnout around the prison reflected the broader challenge PTI faces in navigating a heavily policed political landscape. With arrests preceding the protest day, many local party officials and workers remained in hiding.
Elsewhere, PTI staged scattered protests across Punjab and beyond. In Lahore, where police had conducted overnight raids, around 200 supporters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting for Khan’s release. PTI Punjab claimed over 300 arrests had taken place, including elected lawmakers and senior party leaders. DIG Faisal Kamran confirmed the detention of individuals attempting to block roads but disputed the numbers shared by PTI.
Among those apprehended were Deputy Opposition Leader Moin Qureshi and sitting MPAs Farrukh Javed Moon, Col (retd) Shoaib Amir, Nadeem Sadiq Dogar, Khawaja Salahuddin, Aminullah Khan, and Iqbal Khattak. PTI accused police of violently targeting legislators’ vehicles, breaking windows, and physically assaulting activists.
Viral footage of 80-year-old party stalwart Rehana Dar being dragged into custody sparked widespread condemnation. PTI labelled the incident “disgraceful,” blaming the Punjab government for resorting to “fascist tactics.”
Despite the repression, rallies did break out in cities and towns across Punjab, including Sialkot, Okara, Kasur, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, and Toba Tek Singh. In many of these locations, the protests were led by local PTI figures, and while crowd sizes varied, the party succeeded in staging at least a symbolic presence.
In Islamabad, PTI lawmakers held a sit-in outside Parliament House, led by Chief Whip Aamir Dogar. Their planned march to Adiala Jail was halted by security forces, who cordoned off the area and shut the Parliament gates. Inside, the party held a press conference denouncing Imran Khan’s arrest and condemning state institutions for what they called “the systematic dismantling of democratic opposition.”
The party’s legal wing remained active as well. Teams from the Insaf Legal Forum were stationed at key courts in Lahore, offering legal aid to detained workers. According to Forum President Malik Shujaat Jandran, hundreds of activists were provided bail support.
In other parts of the country, lawyers, youth, and labour groups rallied under the PTI banner. From a labour wing motorcycle rally in Narowal to protests outside the Lahore High Court, supporters called for Khan’s immediate release and pledged continued resistance.
Despite limited turnout at Adiala Jail, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reaffirmed that the protest movement would continue. “We will not rest until our leader is free,” he said.
Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram issued a sharp rebuke of the government’s tactics. “This hybrid regime has crossed all lines, deploying thugs in uniform to crush peaceful dissent,” he said. “But the people of Pakistan are standing tall defying fear, police violence, and tyranny in response to their unjustly imprisoned leader’s call.”
As dusk settled, PTI’s protests offered a mix of symbolic defiance and logistical setbacks — underscoring the party’s ongoing challenge of mobilizing street power in a high-surveillance, post-May 9 political environment.
