Pakistan's jailed ex-PM calls for mass protests in August

Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a nationwide protest movement to reach its peak on Aug. 5, marking exactly two years since his imprisonment on corruption charges that he and his party say are politically motivated.

Speaking outside Adiala Jail on Monday, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan said the family would fully support the campaign. She added that Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Qasim, were expected to join the protests after returning from the United States, where they will “expose the current regime”.

Aleema quoted Khan as saying that “anyone unable to bear the weight of this struggle should step aside.” She said Khan is being held in solitary confinement, with no access to television, newspapers, books, or medical care.

“Even his books are locked in the deputy superintendent’s office, and he hasn’t seen his doctor in over ten months,” Aleema said. She accused ruling party leader Maryam Nawaz of being behind Khan’s mistreatment and said former First Lady Bushra Bibi is also in solitary confinement.

“This is a grave violation of human rights,” she said, adding that she herself had repeatedly been denied visitation rights.

However, two of Khan’s other sisters—Dr. Uzma and Noreen Khan—along with his lawyer Salman Safdar were allowed to meet him at the prison. They travelled together in a police vehicle.

Khan has also denounced Pakistan’s recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment, claiming it strips citizens of their fundamental rights.

Party strategy and prison meeting

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan also met Khan in jail along with lawyers Salman Safdar and Zaheer Abbas Chaudhry. Sources told Nukta the meeting focused on internal party affairs and developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir.

Gohar briefed Khan on a reported dialogue offer from the prime minister and a letter sent by imprisoned PTI leaders. He advised Khan to refrain from harsh statements against the party’s leadership and emphasized the need to explore alternatives to protests and legal challenges.

He also cautioned that rigid messaging around the protests could demoralize supporters, many of whom, he said, had made major personal and financial sacrifices.

“Khan listened attentively and responded positively throughout the meeting,” a source said, though he gave no final decisions.

Speaking to Nukta, Gohar confirmed that PTI would respond to Khan’s protest call.

“This is part of our ongoing movement,” he said. “We’re fully prepared.”

On Aleema Khan’s remarks about Khan’s sons joining the protests, Gohar said he had “no confirmation” of their participation.

Asked who would lead the protests on the ground, Gohar said Khan would lead “from jail,” but the party had not yet decided who would manage coordination in the field.

Shift in strategy

Khan had previously delayed launching a nationwide protest movement by two weeks, citing rising global tensions following the Iran-Israel conflict. According to his sisters, Khan told them that Pakistan needed unity and that he remained informed on international affairs even while in prison.

On June 3, Barrister Gohar announced that Khan had appointed opposition leader Omar Ayub to lead the protests, instead of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who was instructed to focus on governance.

The party also revised its strategy, shifting from a single march to Islamabad to decentralized nationwide demonstrations. However, no final date had been announced until Khan’s latest message.

Earlier on May 31, PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar conveyed Khan’s message that the party had been “pushed to the wall” and that he would lead the movement from jail, issuing directives himself.