Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters held demonstrations across Pakistan on Wednesday as former prime minister Imran Khan completed three years in custody. The Imran Khan detention protests coincided with a fresh Amnesty International intervention over his treatment, medical care and access to lawyers.
Thousands of supporters joined demonstrations under heavy security, according to Al Jazeera. PTI demanded Khan’s release and described his continuing imprisonment as part of a wider assault on constitutional rule.
Imran Khan detention protests reach major cities
Demonstrations took place in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad and several other cities. Peshawar hosted the campaign’s principal gathering because PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The sharpest reported confrontation occurred near the Karachi Press Club. Authorities placed shipping containers on surrounding roads and blocked protesters from reaching the venue.
Police later fired tear gas and detained several demonstrators, including PTI Sindh General Secretary Masroor Siyal, according to the Tribune. PTI alleged that officers also used batons and arrested workers elsewhere in Sindh.
The party described its demonstrations as peaceful. Authorities said restrictions and police deployments served public-order and security requirements.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered officials to restore traffic around Saddar after the confrontation caused extensive congestion. The provincial home minister also sought a report from traffic police.
Amnesty raises detention concerns
The demonstrations followed a new Amnesty statement concerning Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi Khan.
Amnesty alleged that authorities had denied Khan a fair trial and subjected him to prolonged solitary confinement. It also raised concerns about medical treatment, family visits and access to legal counsel.
The organisation said Khan had not met his family for more than eight months. It added that Khan and Bushra Bibi had lacked regular access to lawyers since December 2025.
Amnesty urged authorities to restore family and legal visits and provide adequate medical care. It also called for an end to solitary confinement and urged officials to facilitate peaceful protests.
Khan, 73, is serving a 14-year sentence in a corruption case. He and Bushra Bibi received additional sentences in December 2025 in a case involving state gifts. Both deny wrongdoing, while PTI describes the prosecutions as politically motivated.
Government rejects international criticism
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry rejected claims that authorities had denied Khan lawful treatment.
Chaudhry told Al Jazeera that courts maintained continuous oversight of Khan’s detention. He said the former prime minister received dedicated accommodation, exercise facilities and other amenities.
The minister also rejected a negotiated release. Any relief must come through the judicial process, he said, arguing that international observations could not override Pakistani courts.
The Imran Khan detention protests did not alter Khan’s legal position. However, they connected his imprisonment with a broader dispute over peaceful assembly, access to justice and political participation.
Attention will now turn to Khan’s medical petition before the Supreme Court and PTI’s next campaign phase. The government, meanwhile, faces continuing pressure to demonstrate that prison rules and protest restrictions apply lawfully and consistently.
For PTI, sustaining a peaceful campaign remains the immediate challenge. For the authorities, the Imran Khan detention protests have renewed scrutiny of how Pakistan treats its most prominent imprisoned opposition leader.
