100+ Imran Khan supporters held after protests as he marks 3 years in jail; his party announces Islamabad march
As former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan completed three years in prison on Wednesday, his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced plans for a march to Islamabad on September 27 if its demands for his release are not met. Meanwhile, protests across the country were met with a police crackdown that saw more than 100 of his supporters arrested.
The party’s main gathering was held in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where PTI is in power. Addressing supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi said the party had exhausted all legal and judicial options and would now exercise its constitutional right to peaceful protest if justice was not delivered, news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Afridi said the party’s first demand was for cases against Khan and his wife to be fixed for hearing and decided on merit, while the second was the restoration of meetings with their legal team, doctors, relatives and party leaders.
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He claimed that if justice was delivered, Khan could be released “within 30 minutes”. Otherwise, he said, supporters from across Pakistan would march towards Islamabad on September 27.
“We are seeking justice, not charity,” Afridi said, adding that the PTI would continue its struggle through constitutional and democratic means, including peaceful protests.
Referring to the completion of three years since what he termed Khan’s “abduction”, Afridi alleged that the former prime minister had been kept in solitary confinement and that his sisters had faced mistreatment while trying to meet him in prison.
He also alleged that the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments had weakened Pakistan’s judiciary and claimed that courts were no longer able to dispense justice independently.
The 26th amendment capped the chief justice’s tenure at three years, while the 27th amendment created the post of Chief of Defence Forces and established a constitutional court.
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Police crackdown on protests
As PTI workers staged demonstrations across Pakistan, police launched a crackdown in several cities.
In Punjab, police baton-charged protesters and arrested scores of PTI workers in Lahore, Mianwali and Rawalpindi. On Lahore’s Mall Road, police dispersed demonstrators demanding Khan’s release and detained several protesters.
Videos shared on social media showed riot police using force against protesters. Some journalists covering the rally were also allegedly assaulted by police, prompting protests from media organisations.
Fresh calls for Khan’s release
Aleema Khan, the former prime minister’s sister, said the movement seeking his release had already begun and that its next phase would be announced soon.
Senior PTI leader and former federal minister Moonis Elahi alleged that Khan “has been denied meetings and proper medical treatment, and his eyesight has also deteriorated” in prison.
Another PTI leader, Sheryar Afridi, said: “They (establishment) may have taken away his freedom, but they could never break his resolve. They may have denied him comfort, but they could never diminish his courage. The nation stands with Kaptaan Imran Khan.”
Amnesty raises concerns
Khan, who was arrested on August 5, 2023, remains in prison while facing multiple cases. PTI has repeatedly alleged that the cases are politically motivated, an allegation denied by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International urged Pakistani authorities to uphold the 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician’s rights.
“For three years, Pakistan’s authorities have systematically denied Imran Khan the right to a fair trial, subjected him to prolonged solitary confinement, and limited his access to medical care and visitation rights,” Acting Regional Director for South Asia Isabelle Lassee said.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)