Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has started a movement to demand his release from prison. The campaign, named the “Free Imran Khan Movement,” was launched informally from Lahore, just weeks before the party’s planned nationwide protest on August 5.

According to a PTI spokesperson quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI), police in Punjab province have been arresting party supporters and raiding homes to prevent people from joining the campaign. The party said that at least 20 workers were arrested at different locations in Lahore, where they had gathered to welcome senior leaders.

However, the Punjab police officially denied these claims. A police source, also quoted by the news agency, confirmed that about 20 PTI members had been picked up in Lahore and other cities in recent days.

The protest movement is part of PTI’s plan to increase pressure on the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the military establishment, who the party believes are responsible for Khan’s imprisonment.

GANDAPUR CALLS FOR NATIONWIDE SUPPORT

Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a senior PTI leader, arrived in Lahore on Saturday night to formally kick off the campaign. He and other top party officials are staying at a farmhouse in Raiwind, close to the Sharif family home, to finalize strategies for the upcoming protests.

“Any protest campaign launched from Lahore earns success and this too will be successful across the country,” Gandapur said, urging PTI members and supporters to support the movement by August 5.

The PTI had earlier announced that it would launch a nationwide protest campaign after the Islamic month of Muharram. The decision came after Pakistan’s top court ruled against PTI’s claim to reserved seats in parliament for women and minorities, which weakened the party’s position in the National Assembly.

PTI believes that Imran Khan’s removal from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022 was part of a plan involving political opponents and backed by the military. However, Pakistan’s military has repeatedly said it does not interfere in political matters, denying the PTI’s accusations of behind-the-scenes influence.

KHAN STILL BEHIND BARS

Imran Khan, 72, has been in jail since August 2023 and is currently facing multiple criminal charges. PTI leaders say the legal actions against him are politically motivated and part of efforts to block his return to power.

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With inputs from PTI