MANSEHRA — Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has declared August 5 as the date for a “decisive battle” aimed at securing her brother’s release from prison. Speaking to a gathering of party loyalists in Mansehra on Saturday, she announced a major tactical shift in the party’s protest strategy, stating that PTI workers and supporters will bypass Islamabad’s traditional protest hotspot, D-Chowk, and march directly to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Khan has remained behind bars at the facility since August 2023, facing a barrage of complex legal cases.
During her address, Aleema Khan took aim at the incumbent administration, accusing officials of fabricating false statements in Imran Khan’s name and systematically circulating them through mainstream media channels to mislead the public. Commending the political resilience of Punjab, she noted that the province played a foundational role in the party’s electoral success by securing victories across 100 constituencies. She strongly urged the populace of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to join forces with Punjab in this newly mobilized street movement. This aggressive push marks a significant escalation from early July, when the family temporarily called off jail sit-ins due to logistical hurdles and targeted television networks like ARY News for alleged misreporting regarding the sisters’ scheduled jail visits.
