PTI Plans Global Protests On August 5 As Imran Khan Urges Supporters To Defy Crackdown | Exclusive
PTI Plans Global Protests On August 5 As Imran Khan Urges Supporters To Defy Crackdown | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 12:48
PTI Plans Global Protests On August 5 As Imran Khan Urges Supporters To Defy Crackdown | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 12:48 IST Khan’s sister Aleema has said PTI lawmakers fear intimidation could hurt turnout and urged supporters to show they are ready to protest. Rapid Read Aleema Khanum, sister of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, speaks to the media. (REUTERS/File) Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has called on his supporters to prepare for a decisive political struggle, declaring that the time had come to choose between “freedom or death", his sister Aleema Khan said while recounting her latest meeting with the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. Aleema said Khan had urged party workers and supporters not to be deterred by the continuing crackdown and to mobilise for demonstrations planned on August 5, which will mark three years of his detention. PTI supporters have announced protests across Pakistan as well as in several British cities, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Bradford, Newcastle and Glasgow.
‘State Oppression Will Not Stop Here’ Aleema warned that the pressure being exerted on PTI leaders and workers was unlikely to end unless the public resisted it. She said party members had faced arrests, intimidation and restrictions on political activity, creating an atmosphere in which several PTI lawmakers were uncertain whether people would be willing to come out on the streets. According to Aleema, some PTI members of the Assembly fear that the prevailing environment of intimidation could prevent supporters from participating in the August 5 protests in large numbers. She urged voters to contact their elected representatives and assure them that the public was prepared to join the demonstrations. Aleema Accuses Agencies Of Fuelling Divisions Aleema also accused Pakistan’s military intelligence agencies of attempting to deepen divisions within the opposition and among the public. She claimed that efforts were being made to turn citizens against one another and weaken collective resistance by creating mistrust between political leaders, workers and supporters. The public, she said, should remain alert and avoid falling into attempts designed to pit different groups against each other.
Claims Of Pressure On Pakistan Media Aleema further alleged that Pakistan’s media was operating under severe pressure and was unable to freely report on the political situation or the treatment of PTI leaders and workers. She said television news channels were struggling financially because audiences had stopped relying on them amid widespread perceptions of censorship and restricted coverage. PTI Mobilises For August 5 The planned protests come as PTI seeks to intensify pressure on the Pakistani government over Khan’s imprisonment and the cases against him. Campaign material circulated by the party’s overseas supporters describes his detention as arbitrary and calls for demonstrations outside Pakistani diplomatic missions and other prominent locations in the United Kingdom. The party is presenting August 5 as a major test of its ability to mobilise supporters despite arrests, legal cases and restrictions on political activity. Aleema’s appeal appeared aimed particularly at addressing concerns within PTI that fear and uncertainty could limit turnout. She urged supporters to directly reassure lawmakers and party organisers that they were prepared to participate.
The BriefWire