Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to move its planned nationwide protest to another date, stressing that national occasions should bring the country together rather than spark political confrontation.
“Independence Day should be a time for the entire nation to celebrate together, not a day of political confrontation,” the PM’s aide said, speaking on Geo News’s programme Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal.
His remarks came after a post from PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan’s X account on August 6, calling on supporters to “take to the streets in full force” against what the party described as ongoing oppression.
The call followed PTI’s unsuccessful protest attempt on August 5.
Sanaullah said he had no objection to PTI exercising its right to protest, but stressed that the date was inappropriate.
“On August 14, the whole country celebrates with enthusiasm and protesting on that day goes against our traditions,” he said.
“They can hold it on the 13th, 15th, or 16th instead.”
He praised opposition parties for showing unity and coordination, but criticised their choice to stage political demonstrations on national occasions.
Referring to PTI’s recent protest call on August 5, observed as the “Day of Exploitation” to mark India’s revocation of occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, Sanaullah said the nation had been standing with Kashmiris that day.
“They announced a big movement, and in the end, nothing happened,” he added.
The PTI held protests in parts of the country on August 5, demanding the release of their party founder, who completed two years in prison on that day.
On August 5, 2023, Khan was arrested by police in Lahore and sentenced to three years in jail under accusations of misusing his role as prime minister to buy and sell state gifts worth Rs140 million he received during international visits.
The PTI sources claimed that at least 300 of its activists were detained by police in Lahore in raids overnight. The PTI leaders claimed that police were conducting raids to arrest party leaders and workers.
At least seven members of the Punjab Assembly were also arrested in Lahore, AFP reported, quoting Zulfikar Bukhari.
The police, however, released the PTI lawmakers in the evening.
In a statement, the Punjab police said that Deputy Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Moeen Riaz Qureshi, MPs Farrukh Javed Moon, Khawaja Salahuddin, Shoaib Amir, Amanullah Khan, and Iqbal Khattak, had been released.
Rehana Dar, who was among those detained from outside Aiwan-e-Adal, was released, the PTI central media cell confirmed.
The former PM, in a message posted on the party’s X account, urged supporters to “come out and hold peaceful protests until a true democracy is restored in the country”.
The former cricket star was elected prime minister in 2018 but was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in parliament.
