LAHORE: More than 200 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers have been detained in Lahore ahead of the party’s planned nationwide protest on August 5. The protest marks what the PTI has called a “black day” to mark the one-year anniversary of the arrest of party leader and former prime minister Imran Khan.
The arrests were made in several neighborhoods, with some later released on bail. However, the operation is ongoing, with authorities conducting “door-knocking” raids to detain additional workers.
The crackdown comes at a time when the PTI’s strategy has shifted from central protests in Islamabad to local demonstrations in the provinces, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The party cancelled its main rally in the capital but vowed to continue mobilizing public support through decentralized programs.
Imran Khan’s party held rallies at the district level Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan said that the main protest in Peshawar will be led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The convoys coming from Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera are expected to join at the Swabi Interchange before proceeding to the historic Bala Hisar Fort via Peshawar’s Ring Road.
KP Chief Minister Gandapur said that the biggest rally in Pakistan’s history will be held on August 5, which is aimed at sending a strong message to the federal government.
Law enforcement agencies are reportedly looking for several senior opposition leaders, including the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council and other prominent parliamentarians.
Party insiders revealed that the PTI has planned constituency-level protests for the national and provincial assemblies. If the August 5 protest fails to generate significant momentum, the campaign could extend to August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day.
