ISLAMABAD; The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a countrywide protest campaign on August 5, opting for district-level demonstrations instead of a central rally in Islamabad.
The protests are part of the party’s ongoing campaign, “Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Aayeen” (Movement for the Protection of the Constitution), launched on the instructions of PTI’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.
According to party sources, PTI will hold rallies and sit-ins across all districts to mark the completion of two years since Imran Khan’s controversial ouster and subsequent detention, which the party describes as “illegal and politically motivated.”
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a major rally will be held in Peshawar, beginning from the Hayatabad Toll Plaza and culminating at Qilla Bala Hisar. The demonstration, expected to continue until late evening, will be led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and will include participation from top provincial leaders and members of the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Aayeen initiative.
In Swabi, PTI workers will gather at the Ambar Interchange to register their protest, demanding the release of their leader. This protest is also scheduled to continue until Isha prayers. Similarly, in Nowshera, a one-day protest will be staged at Khairabad, with workers remaining on-site until the evening.
The party has directed all elected representatives, including MNAs, MPAs, and ticket holders, to record video messages or footage of the protests from their deras or hujras (community gathering spaces) and forward them to district-level organizations. These will be compiled and sent to the party’s regional leadership for documentation and further dissemination.
PTI leaders say the protests aim to draw national and international attention to what they term the “politicized” judicial proceedings against Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and is facing multiple charges under the anti-terrorism act and corruption cases.
In several other cities, PTI workers have also planned peaceful rallies, roadside sit-ins, and corner meetings. The party has appealed to its supporters to maintain discipline and remain non-violent, asserting that the struggle is for “constitutional supremacy and democratic restoration.”
More protest details for other provinces are expected to be released by the party’s central secretariat within the next 24 hours.
