‘Enough is enough’: PTI to hold nationwide protests to mark 2 years of Imran Khan’s arrest

Khan was arrested on August 5, 2023, after being convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case. (File photo)

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, will stage nationwide protests on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of Khan's arrest on August 5, 2023, in a corruption case.

The PTI, on Monday, now functioning under the umbrella opposition's alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), announced a slew of staggered protests. Large gatherings will likely be held  across major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Swabi.

The former Prime Minister, in a strongly worded message released through his lawyer, has vowed not to negotiate with what he described as a “hybrid regime” led by Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“Even if they jail me for 10 years, I will endure it for democracy,” Khan said this Monday. “People must rise and fight for their rights. Enough is enough. We cannot accept mandate thieves and enablers of dictatorship.”

Khan further accused the current establishment of violating the Constitution and undermining democracy, calling for political resistance through “peaceful but sustained protest.”

The Pakistani government has rolled out sweeping restrictions.

In Rawalpindi, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been imposed, banning all gatherings, protests, and sit-ins between August 4 and 10.

Meanwhile, jail officials at Adiala Jail, where Khan is being held, have requested additional police and surveillance due to the facility’s overcapacity as well as risks of unrest. Currently, Adiala has 7,700 inmates -- nearly four times its official capacity of 2,174.

Moreover, police have ramped up deployment from Dahgal Checkpost to Gate No. 5 of the prison.

As per Zulfiqar Bukhari, Khan’s adviser on international media, Tuesday’s protests will kick off in each constituency and gradually escalate into conventions and large-scale public rallies in later stages. “The strategy will roll out in phases. The message is clear -- we are demanding the rule of law,” remarked Bukhari.

He alleged that over 150 PTI workers have already been detained in Lahore alone, accusing the Punjab government of conducting nighttime raids without warrants.

“In Rawalpindi, arrests are also ongoing. Their only crime is preparing to protest—a right guaranteed by the Constitution,” Bukhari said.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rallies will begin at 3:30 pm. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will lead the protest in Peshawar, starting from Hayatabad Toll Plaza and ending near Qila Bala Hisar. In Swabi, TTAP Secretary General Asad Qaiser will oversee a protest at the Ambar Interchange.

All PTI lawmakers and officeholders have been instructed to document their participation. They have been directed to submit videos to the district and regional leadership.

Despite the planned peaceful nature of the demonstrations, the Islamabad administration has refused permission for PTI to hold public rallies.

The party has, however, claimed the protest is a democratic obligation in the face of “unjust incarceration” and “political persecution.”

Khan was arrested on August 5, 2023, after being convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case. Following this, he has been convicted in other cases as well, including those related to terrorism and sedition, and remains incarcerated in Adiala Jail.