Movement to free Imran Khan is happening—led by his sons
What's the story
A mass movement to secure the release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is underway, spearheaded by his sons, Sulaiman and Qasim Khan, both based in the United Kingdom. This is significant, as the younger Khans had previously stayed away from politics and the public eye until recently. The movement started with protests across Pakistan and its diaspora and has the potential to rattle the Pakistani government.
Protest plans
PTI announces nationwide protests
Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has announced a nationwide protest to be launched after the Islamic month of Muharram, with significant escalation planned on August 5. Aleema Khan, Khan's sister, announced that Sulaiman and Qasim would actively participate in the protests. "The hope we had for justice from the courts has completely disappeared, so now no other method can bring the Pakistani nation out of this swamp of lawlessness except a nationwide protest movement," Khan said on X.
Legal battles
Imran Khan's call for public uprising
PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan, who met Khan, said this protest "is not just about political revenge—it's about every citizen's rights being stolen. Khan has said this movement should...take the shape of a second Pakistan Movement." Khan has ruled out negotiations with the government and called for an uprising as the only way forward. He has exhausted most of his legal options and faced judicial setbacks, including a Supreme Court ruling that denied PTI reserved seats in the National Assembly.
Charges
Imran Khan has been jailed since August 2023
The PTI is demanding Imran Khan's release from prison. He has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces over 100 charges ranging from corruption to misuse of state secrets, all of which he denies. Khan and his supporters claim these charges are politically motivated. The young Khans plan to visit the US to engage with human rights groups and raise awareness about alleged injustices against their father.
Global campaign
Sulaiman, Qasim appeal for international intervention
In a rare interview in March, they revealed unsettling facts about Khan's prison conditions and called global attention to what they say is the deliberate suppression of democracy in Pakistan. They alleged that their father is being held in complete isolation in a high-security cell they called "death cell." "He has no access to doctors, no sunlight, and he's cut off from the world," said Sulaiman. They also publicly appealed for international intervention from leaders like US President Donald Trump.