RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has called on the public to take to the streets on August 14 to demand “true freedom,” condemning what he described as an unlawful and oppressive system.
Speaking through family members after a meeting at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, the former prime minister also declared that no new candidates would be nominated to replace the PTI leaders who were disqualified, as he considers those disqualifications illegal and unjust.
Aleema Khan, who met him along with their sister Uzma Khan, spoke to the media afterwards. She said it was a blessing that their meeting with Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had taken place, and that the sisters had waited outside the prison together.
Aleema revealed that Imran Khan had inquired about his children’s possible return to Pakistan and expressed satisfaction over recent protests, praising the people for taking to the streets despite state oppression.
According to her, Imran Khan was pleased to learn that citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab had shown strong participation in the demonstrations. He paid tribute to the nation and compared the current repression to even more severe than that under past dictators.
Imran reportedly said: “Yahya Khan divided the country to retain power—today, we’re again being pushed toward a similar fate. Media is gagged, and if we want real freedom, we must stand up now.”
He made no complaints about the treatment he personally faced in jail, Aleema said, but he firmly reiterated his call for protests on August 14, asserting that rule of law no longer exists in the country. He urged PTI leaders not to fear arrests or imprisonment.
Additionally, Imran Khan has sent a clear message to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, demanding an immediate halt to ongoing operations in the province. He emphasised that actions against their own people only fuel resentment against the party.
He advised that conflict resolution should be pursued through traditional jirgas (tribal councils), not force. Addressing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Khan warned that if the government cannot stop the operation, the CM must seriously reconsider his next steps.
This renewed call for national mobilization comes amid escalating political tensions and crackdowns on PTI members and supporters. –Agencies
