Former prime minister in jail imran khan‘S Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf held a show of strength on Sunday and demanded immediate release The government was criticised for its crackdown on the party after police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. The rally – which was postponed twice in the past two months – was held near the Sangjani cattle market in the suburbs. Islamabad After the No Objection Certificate (NOC) is issued by the capital administration.
thousands PTI Supporters flocked to the rally, proving the party’s power base remains intact despite numerous setbacks, including the imprisonment of its 71-year-old founder.
Khan was arrested on August 5 last year after being convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Since then, he has been in jail in various cases. On Sunday, Khan completed 400 days in jail.
As per the NOC, the rally was to end at 7 pm (local time). As the deadline expired, the district administration directed the police to take action against those who participated in the rally and did not follow the NOC.
Officials said the organisers violated rules and regulations by not ending the function before the deadline.
In response to this action, PTI workers started pelting stones at the police, in which several security personnel, including the Senior Superintendent of Police, were injured. shoaib khan,
“The PTI rally has attracted massive crowds, despite the state government’s strategy of limiting the number of people through road blockades and containers, and the risk of violent repression and arrests. Its size and popularity ensure that its mobilization potential remains intact despite the desperate efforts to contain it,” South Asia expert Michael Kugelman wrote in a post on X.
Several PTI leaders addressed the gathering and demanded Khan’s immediate release. PTI leader in the National Assembly Umar Ayub Khan said the party will not sit quiet until Khan is released.
He said, “We are soldiers of Imran Khan and we will not sit quiet until he is released.” He said that soon Khan would be with his supporters.
He condemned the physical barricades erected on roads to restrict the movement of participants and also announced that the PTI would now hold rallies across the country.
This was the PTI’s first major rally in Islamabad after the February 8 elections. The party wants to pressurise the government to release Khan, who is in jail even though the courts have acquitted him or granted him bail in all the cases.
PTI chairman Gauhar Ali Khan said the government had turned the city into a cage, but thousands still attended the rally. “This shows that Imran Khan is a reality, and you have to accept it…Imran Khan is a leader and will always be a leader,” he said.
He told the participants that Khan was their only leader who had never surrendered and would never do so. He warned that the PTI would not accept new cases against Khan.
Gauhar said the PTI had planned the rally six months ago and followed Khan’s instructions to hold the rally after getting permission from the government. He criticised the government for bringing a new law to restrict political activities.
During the rally, slogans were raised demanding Khan’s release from jail.
He concluded his speech with the promise that “Imran Khan will soon come out of jail and be among his people”.
The keynote address was delivered by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who arrived from Peshawar and was accompanied by a large number of Khan’s supporters from the province.
In his emotional address, he vowed to continue the struggle for the rights of the people. He said those who put Khan in jail were being humiliated while “Khan is winning in jail”.
He said the government gave permission for the rally and closed all the roads leading to the rally venue. “Imran Khan you have won while everyone else has lost,” he said, vowing to go to any extent for Khan.
He also announced that he would hold his next rally in Lahore, whether the government gives permission or not.
Gandapur also rejected talks that Khan would be tried under military law, saying no one can do that.
Khan has repeatedly expressed his willingness to negotiate with the establishment, while refusing to sit down with the government. So far, all his tactics have failed to bring any relief. Mass protests are an option, but his party is under pressure to avoid it.
Today’s rally was a test for both the government and the PTI as it will help them gauge Khan’s ground strength and fine-tune their policies and strategy in the coming days.
Sources told PTI that the Islamabad administration put the security system on high alert this morning and closed several arteries leading to the capital city. The administration put hospitals on alert. Metro bus services were stopped in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Addressing the rally, former minister Hammad Azhar said the obstacles created by the rulers showed that they were afraid of Khan and his supporters.
He said most of the party’s leadership in Punjab is in jail, which is a tribute to the imprisoned leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi And Umar Sarfraz Cheema,
Another leader, Sher Afzal Marwat, said they would soon hold rallies in Punjab demanding Khan’s release and the supremacy of law and the Constitution.
“We will enter Punjab with 50,000 people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a week,” he said, adding that they will walk on foot and face tear gas.
Additional forces have been called to the spot where the clash broke out between police and party workers.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Public Order and Peaceful Assembly Bill 2024 into law hours before the planned rally, imposing strict measures for unauthorised gatherings.
The new law spells out penalties for holding unauthorised gatherings in Islamabad, with violators facing up to three years in prison and a fine. Repeat offenders could face up to 10 years in prison.
thousands PTI Supporters flocked to the rally, proving the party’s power base remains intact despite numerous setbacks, including the imprisonment of its 71-year-old founder.
Khan was arrested on August 5 last year after being convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Since then, he has been in jail in various cases. On Sunday, Khan completed 400 days in jail.
As per the NOC, the rally was to end at 7 pm (local time). As the deadline expired, the district administration directed the police to take action against those who participated in the rally and did not follow the NOC.
Officials said the organisers violated rules and regulations by not ending the function before the deadline.
In response to this action, PTI workers started pelting stones at the police, in which several security personnel, including the Senior Superintendent of Police, were injured. shoaib khan,
“The PTI rally has attracted massive crowds, despite the state government’s strategy of limiting the number of people through road blockades and containers, and the risk of violent repression and arrests. Its size and popularity ensure that its mobilization potential remains intact despite the desperate efforts to contain it,” South Asia expert Michael Kugelman wrote in a post on X.
Several PTI leaders addressed the gathering and demanded Khan’s immediate release. PTI leader in the National Assembly Umar Ayub Khan said the party will not sit quiet until Khan is released.
He said, “We are soldiers of Imran Khan and we will not sit quiet until he is released.” He said that soon Khan would be with his supporters.
He condemned the physical barricades erected on roads to restrict the movement of participants and also announced that the PTI would now hold rallies across the country.
This was the PTI’s first major rally in Islamabad after the February 8 elections. The party wants to pressurise the government to release Khan, who is in jail even though the courts have acquitted him or granted him bail in all the cases.
PTI chairman Gauhar Ali Khan said the government had turned the city into a cage, but thousands still attended the rally. “This shows that Imran Khan is a reality, and you have to accept it…Imran Khan is a leader and will always be a leader,” he said.
He told the participants that Khan was their only leader who had never surrendered and would never do so. He warned that the PTI would not accept new cases against Khan.
Gauhar said the PTI had planned the rally six months ago and followed Khan’s instructions to hold the rally after getting permission from the government. He criticised the government for bringing a new law to restrict political activities.
During the rally, slogans were raised demanding Khan’s release from jail.
He concluded his speech with the promise that “Imran Khan will soon come out of jail and be among his people”.
The keynote address was delivered by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who arrived from Peshawar and was accompanied by a large number of Khan’s supporters from the province.
In his emotional address, he vowed to continue the struggle for the rights of the people. He said those who put Khan in jail were being humiliated while “Khan is winning in jail”.
He said the government gave permission for the rally and closed all the roads leading to the rally venue. “Imran Khan you have won while everyone else has lost,” he said, vowing to go to any extent for Khan.
He also announced that he would hold his next rally in Lahore, whether the government gives permission or not.
Gandapur also rejected talks that Khan would be tried under military law, saying no one can do that.
Khan has repeatedly expressed his willingness to negotiate with the establishment, while refusing to sit down with the government. So far, all his tactics have failed to bring any relief. Mass protests are an option, but his party is under pressure to avoid it.
Today’s rally was a test for both the government and the PTI as it will help them gauge Khan’s ground strength and fine-tune their policies and strategy in the coming days.
Sources told PTI that the Islamabad administration put the security system on high alert this morning and closed several arteries leading to the capital city. The administration put hospitals on alert. Metro bus services were stopped in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Addressing the rally, former minister Hammad Azhar said the obstacles created by the rulers showed that they were afraid of Khan and his supporters.
He said most of the party’s leadership in Punjab is in jail, which is a tribute to the imprisoned leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi And Umar Sarfraz Cheema,
Another leader, Sher Afzal Marwat, said they would soon hold rallies in Punjab demanding Khan’s release and the supremacy of law and the Constitution.
“We will enter Punjab with 50,000 people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a week,” he said, adding that they will walk on foot and face tear gas.
Additional forces have been called to the spot where the clash broke out between police and party workers.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Public Order and Peaceful Assembly Bill 2024 into law hours before the planned rally, imposing strict measures for unauthorised gatherings.
The new law spells out penalties for holding unauthorised gatherings in Islamabad, with violators facing up to three years in prison and a fine. Repeat offenders could face up to 10 years in prison.
