PTI’s Street Power Dented, but Defiance Remains

News Desk 

Rawalpindi/ Islamabad: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) much-anticipated countrywide protest on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of former prime minister Imran Khan’s detention concluded with limited success, as authorities enforced sweeping crackdowns, imposed restrictions, and carried out mass arrests.

Despite a call by Imran Khan—conveyed through party channels—urging citizens to peacefully resist what he termed the “erosion of democratic norms,” the party’s protest movement failed to gain significant momentum in key urban centres, especially outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where Khan has been held since September 2023.

Local administration in Rawalpindi sealed off access to the jail, enforcing Section 144 and erecting roadblocks. 

A few party leaders, including Senator Humayun Mohmand, MNAs Maulana Naseem Ali Shah and Sajid Khan Mohmand, reached the Dahgal checkpoint on Adiala Road, but were barred from proceeding.

Among the six senior leaders scheduled to meet the former prime minister, only party spokesperson Niazullah Niazi managed to reach Gate 5 before being turned away.

Security personnel also blocked Khan’s sisters from reaching the jail via the Chakri Interchange, while lawyers Shamsa Kayani and Owais Younis were stopped at the Gorakhpur checkpoint.

Senior leaders Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa, and Mehmood Khan Achakzai were similarly intercepted at a checkpoint near a housing society along Adiala Road.

In Rawalpindi, the PTI’s planned protest outside Adiala Jail fizzled out, as most local leaders and workers stayed away fearing arrests. Only a few female supporters gathered near the Dahgal checkpoint and chanted slogans, but their presence was symbolic at best.

Punjab Crackdown

The most forceful crackdown occurred in Punjab, where authorities carried out over 200 raids ahead of the protests. PTI Punjab media head Shayan Bashir claimed hundreds of activists were rounded up in pre-dawn operations. According to Reuters, around 120 people were arrested in overnight raids in Lahore alone, with more detained during the day.

Police said about 30 arrests were made for unlawful assembly and road blockades, though PTI estimated over 300 arrests across Punjab. Several sitting members of the Punjab Assembly were among those detained, including Deputy Opposition Leader Moin Qureshi, Farrukh Javed Moon, Col (retd) Shoaib Amir, Nadeem Sadiq Dogar, Khawaja Salahuddin, Aminullah Khan, and Iqbal Khattak.

The party accused police of using batons to attack lawmakers’ vehicles and assaulting peaceful demonstrators. Video footage of 80-year-old PTI leader Rehana Dar being dragged by police went viral on social media, drawing sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum.

Protests in Other Cities

Despite the clampdown, PTI managed to stage protests in several cities and towns across Punjab, including Lahore, Okara, Kasur, Sialkot, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Toba Tek Singh, Khanewal, and Narowal.

In Lahore, hundreds of PTI supporters gathered on Canal Road, led by Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar, Malik Usman Hamza Awan, and Hafiz Zeeshan Rasheed. In Okara, Chaudhry Saleem Sadiq and Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Tariq led a large rally. In Kasur, Sardar Dawood Aslam Dogar led demonstrations demanding Khan’s release.

Other protest sites included Chowk Azam in Layyah, where the PTI Youth Wing held a demonstration, and Narowal, where a labour wing motorcycle rally was organised. In Toba Tek Singh, PTI chief organiser Aliya Hamza’s vehicle was allegedly attacked by police as she attempted to join the protest.

In Mandi Bahauddin, Begum Kausar Muhammad Khan Bhatti and Liaqat Ali Bhatti led a rally in defiance of restrictions. PTI’s legal wing also mobilised, with lawyers staging sit-ins outside the Lahore High Court and other judicial complexes, offering legal support to detained party workers.

Islamabad Protest, Media Clampdown

In Islamabad, PTI members of parliament staged a protest outside the Parliament House, led by Chief Whip Aamir Dogar. Before they could march toward Adiala Jail, police cordoned off the premises and sealed the main gate.

During a press conference inside Parliament, lawmakers condemned Imran Khan’s incarceration, denounced the government’s actions, and criticized state institutions for what they termed “unprecedented repression.”

PTI officials further accused law enforcement of targeting the party’s media team. Party media head Shayan Bashir’s residence and office were reportedly raided, drawing further outrage from PTI leadership.

Party Response

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reiterated that the protest campaign was launched on Imran Khan’s direct instructions and would continue until his release. “We will not rest until the former prime minister is free,” he stated.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram issued a strongly worded condemnation of the government’s actions.

“The regime has unleashed a reign of terror, deploying ‘Gullu Butts’ to crush peaceful dissent,” he said, referring to state-backed hooliganism. He praised the party’s supporters for their defiance in the face of arrests and intimidation.

Despite a nationwide call and some significant turnouts in select regions, Tuesday’s demonstrations revealed the limits of PTI’s street power under intense state repression.

The party vowed to continue its movement, though its ability to mount sustained resistance remains under pressure from continued crackdowns, fear of reprisals, and restricted political space.

In put from Reuters and Express Tribune.