Authorities in Islamabad have taken extensive measures to prepare for mass protests planned in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, more than three years after his removal from office and subsequent imprisonment. Roads have been blocked with shipping containers ahead of demonstrations organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is demanding his release.
Khan, a cricket World Cup-winning captain turned politician, was ousted in 2023 through a parliamentary no-confidence vote amid an economic crisis and has been incarcerated since August of that year on charges including corruption and terrorism—allegations his supporters describe as politically motivated. Most of his convictions have been overturned or suspended on appeal. Despite government efforts to suppress his public profile, including limiting media references to him as merely the "founder" of the PTI and concealing images during hospital transfers, Khan retains significant popular support. His party claims tens of millions of followers who view him as the leading alternative to Pakistan’s military-dominated political landscape.
The military, led by Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is widely regarded as Pakistan’s de facto ruler, and the civilian government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, have struggled to contain Khan’s influence. Khan’s supporters have demonstrated significant capacity to mobilize street protests, which have at times turned violent. Following his arrest, demonstrations targeted military installations, prompting a crackdown that included mass arrests, anti-terrorism trials, and security operations. In a November 2024 protest near the national parliament, security forces opened fire, resulting in at least a dozen deaths according to witnesses and the PTI.
The government has also tightened restrictions on dissent through new legal and constitutional amendments limiting online speech and press freedom, while pressuring the judiciary. In 2024, six judges from the Islamabad High Court accused Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of interfering with court rulings against Khan and alleged intimidation tactics targeting judges’ families. Critics argue that Pakistan is undergoing one of its most severe periods of judicial repression, with independent judges increasingly sidelined.
The 2024 general election further highlighted tensions, as Khan’s party was stripped of its electoral symbol—the cricket bat—used to aid voter recognition. Despite this, PTI loyalists secured the most parliamentary seats, but the military’s backing of Sharif ensured his appointment as prime minister, a move challenged by opposition groups and observers.
Khan’s family members, including sisters Uzma and Aleema Khan, have been arrested recently on security grounds linked to anticipated protests. They report that Khan has complained of inadequate medical care and isolation in prison, drawing parallels to the fate of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who died after years of detention.
At the same time, Munir has pursued foreign policy initiatives aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s international standing, such as engaging with the United States, mediating regional conflicts, and strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Nevertheless, the leadership faces a deteriorating domestic security environment marked by insurgencies in western provinces, unrest in Kashmir, and complex relations with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, compounded by economic challenges.
Analysts suggest that the ongoing crackdown on Khan and his supporters, while understandable from the government’s standpoint given the deep rivalry, risks fueling further street unrest and political instability. According to experts, this dynamic may divert attention from essential domestic reforms and threaten Pakistan’s improving global image.
Despite state efforts to marginalize him, images of Khan remain widely visible across Pakistan and digital platforms, with AI-generated videos circulating among his followers. His family insists that his support base remains resilient, underscoring the persistent challenge Khan poses to the current establishment.