PTI to hold countrywide rallies on August 5 over Imran Khan’s arrest anniversary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s parliamentary party has decided to stage rallies across the country on August 5, party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced on Wednesday after a meeting of the party’s lawmakers.

Speaking at a press conference, Gohar said the meeting had formally been called for one agenda but broader national developments were also discussed. He said the parliamentary party had resolved to organise nationwide demonstrations on August 5, the date on which PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested in 2023 after being sentenced to three years in prison in the state gifts case.

Gohar said the parliamentary party also condemned the continued incarceration of Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. Khan has remained in jail since August 2023 in cases that he and his party describe as politically motivated. Since his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in 2022, he has faced a string of cases, including corruption and terrorism charges. Some of those convictions have since been suspended or set aside, while appeals in others are still pending. Khan denies wrongdoing.

At the press conference, Gohar said:

"Our meeting had one agenda, but the entire national situation came under discussion"

Call for mobilisation

The announcement followed a call from Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, who urged party workers to step up efforts for his release. Addressing PTI workers in Lower Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on July 12, she said the time had come for the party to pursue justice and accountability.

She also asked party workers to stay organised and continue working in line with directions from the party leadership for Khan’s release. Aleema further called on workers to press PTI lawmakers to leave their homes and take part fully in the anti-government campaign being carried out across the country.

Health concerns and treatment

Khan’s family and PTI have repeatedly expressed concern about his health and what they describe as the lack of basic necessities at Adiala jail. Last month, the former prime minister was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for a scheduled follow-up for an eye condition, where doctors administered his fifth intravitreal injection.

According to a statement from the Pims administration, the 74-year-old underwent the procedure as part of an ongoing course of treatment for an eye problem that has required a series of intravitreal injections. A report submitted to the Supreme Court by his lawyer and the court’s amicus curiae, Salman Safdar, said Khan had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, or CRVO.

The condition is a serious eye disorder that occurs when the main vein responsible for draining blood from the retina becomes blocked. It is often linked to cardiovascular risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.