Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, to mark three years of party founder Imran Khan's imprisonment, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi issuing a fresh ultimatum: meet the party's demands or face a march on Islamabad on 27 September. Rallies were held across Pakistan — from Peshawar and Lahore to Karachi, Quetta, and several towns in Sindh — marking one of the most geographically widespread PTI mobilisations since Khan's arrest.

Key Demands and the September Ultimatum

Addressing a rally in Peshawar, Chief Minister Afridi outlined three core demands: unrestricted meetings with Imran Khan, the right for Khan to receive treatment from his personal physician, and expeditious hearings of the cases filed against him. Afridi stated, 'If these demands are not met, we will march on Islamabad on September 27.'

He also claimed that Imran Khan could secure his own release with a 'single signature' but had chosen to remain imprisoned for the sake of the country and future generations. Afridi added that PTI had lost faith in Pakistan's judiciary following the implementation of the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments by the government.

Protests Across Pakistan

In Peshawar, a large contingent of PTI's former Members of Provincial Assembly — including Ayesha Banu and Momina Basit — alongside members of the party's Women Wing, joined the rally. In Lahore, members of the Insaf Lawyers Forum and senior party leaders led a demonstration outside Aiwan-e-Adl, calling for Khan's immediate release.

In Quetta, protests were organised on the call of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. Karachi saw demonstrators gather near the Karachi Press Club, where authorities blocked roads leading to the venue and police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd, according to reports. Several PTI leaders and workers were arrested during the crackdown. Protests were also reported in Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Mithi, and other parts of Sindh.

Imran Khan's Imprisonment: The Background

Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023, following convictions that PTI has consistently described as politically motivated. Since his removal from the prime ministership in 2022 through a no-confidence vote, Khan has faced multiple cases, including allegations involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage case. PTI maintains that the legal proceedings are part of a broader effort to suppress the party.

UN Rapporteur Raises Detention Concerns

The protests come weeks after UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards publicly raised concerns about Khan's detention conditions. In a post on LinkedIn, Edwards stated that Khan has been held in 'near-total solitary confinement for 33 months in a small, windowless cell under 24-7 CCTV' and is 'often more than 2 weeks continuously, without exercise or meaningful human contact.' She noted this 'far exceeds the Mandela Rules' — the UN's minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.

Edwards also expressed concern over reports that Khan is being denied proper medical care, noting that untreated conditions compound a spinal injury from a 2013 accident and bullet wounds sustained in a November 2022 assassination attempt. She called on Pakistan to 'restore humane conditions and allow him his choice of medical examination and appropriate treatment.'

What Comes Next

With PTI setting a 27 September deadline for the government to respond to its demands, Pakistan's political establishment faces a fresh test of its capacity to contain street mobilisation. Whether the government engages with the demands or continues its current posture will determine the scale and intensity of the planned Islamabad march.