Peshawar: The PTI are gearing up for another long march on September 27 to demand the hospitalisation of their leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khanat a private hospital outside Adiala Jail and his release from prison as well.
KP Chief Minister (CM) Mohammad Sohail Afridi recently in a public gathering at Buner district said that shifting Imran Khan to hospital was not their sole demand as they wanted his release from jail. He claimedthat Imran Khan would be released through a struggle by the PTI and verdicts of the court.
The CM asked party workers and especially the youth to prepare for a long march on September 27. He stated that he would lead the march and there would be no return, insisting that the matter would end with Imran Khan’s release of “martyrdom”, a statement that defines the party’s extreme stance on Khan’s imprisonment. The CM claimed that he wanted the country top emulate Khan’s example in terms of the sacrifices they were willing to make and said he felt assured that would not hesitate when the chance arose. He insisted that people would offer their lives for Khan and never retreat.
The PTI has failed to gather significant momentum or broad consensus across party lines for previous marches on the capital. The PTI have organised multiple protests, rallies, and long marches following the arrest of Khan in August 2023. The arrest sparked widespread protests by PTI supporters and led to a campaign of rallies and long marches that nonetheless failed to intimidate the federal government.
Afridi also criticised the government for not allowing Khan’s personal physician and his sister Dr Uzma Khan to be at the hospital with him during a recent visit that was ordered by a bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP). The SCP allowed Khan to receive temporary medical treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad after repeated petitions by the PTI, which the government said violated prisoner treatment norms and showed favouritism.
Khan was instead taken to the PIMS hospital in Islamabad at the last minute, which the government said was standard and legal procedure.
