Pakistanis rally to push for release of former Premier Imran Khan

​​​​​​​By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Thousands rallied Saturday in Lahore, the provincial capital of northeastern Punjab province, to demand the immediate release of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to hold the major rally in Lahore for the first time since the Feb. 8 general election where the party secured dozens of seats in Punjab province.

The local administration had allowed the rally to be held for three hours after a Lahore High Court order Friday as the ruling party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ruling in the province and his daughter Maryam Nawaz is chief minister.

PTI Interim Chairman Barrister Gohar said the government should immediately release Khan as Pakistan's economic and political instability is headed out of control.

"I warn the government to release Khan as the situation is now going out of control and we will bring people on roads for protest," he said.

He criticized the government for not allowing his party to freely hold rallies and issue no-objection certificates (NOC) after orders by the courts.

It was the second power show of PTI this month after it held a major rally in Islamabad on Sept. 8 for the first time since May 2023 as the government had refused multiple times to allow the party to organize public gatherings in the capital despite court orders.

Salman Akram Raja, PTI general secretary and prominent lawyer, accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of rigging the Feb. 8 elections and snatching victory from PTI.

"The current government has no public mandate and we will not allow it to bring any constitutional amendments and establish a constitutional court to adjust the current chief justice who is biased," Raja told supporters.

He claimed the government is bringing constitutional amendments to ban the PTI and send Khan to military courts for trial.

Protesters chanted slogans, including, "Long live Imran Khan", "Release Imran Khan" and "Rigged elections unacceptable.”

The PTI contends it won two-thirds of constituencies in the elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan has rebuffed the allegation.

Raja announced the launching soon of a nationwide protest to pressure the government to release Khan.

Khan, 72, is currently languishing in a jail in the northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi, seeking bail in cases ranging from corruption to terrorism. He denies the accusations.

The courts have set aside two convictions and suspended a third.

The former cricketing star was ousted in a no-trust vote in April 2022.