PTI's Protest Movement Intensifies: Nationwide Rallies on Independence Day

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser has announced that the party's protest movement is entering its second phase on August 14, coinciding with the country's Independence Day. Speaking in Swabi, Qaiser revealed that after the August 14 demonstrations, the party would extend its protest efforts to the Sindh region.

This announcement comes as PTI marks the second anniversary of the imprisonment of its founder, Imran Khan, and continues to call for his release. On the same day as Qaiser's announcement, law enforcement officials detained more than 240 opposition activists across Pakistan. In Lahore alone, 122 individuals were apprehended for blocking roads and threatening public order, according to Deputy Inspector General of Police Faisal Kamran.

Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari reported that over 200 party supporters have been detained in Lahore. Meanwhile, Punjab police have confirmed the release of Deputy Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi and several other MPs. Despite heightened security measures, including the imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, PTI rallies have garnered significant support. Speaking at a protest in Peshawar, CM Gandapur emphasized the people's response to PTI's call for protests, asserting that demonstrations will now occur daily. However, the rally concluded abruptly when Gandapur left without addressing the supporters, igniting discontent among attendees.

(With inputs from agencies.)