Lahore:
Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja has called for a nationwide protest on August 5 and called on the public to gather behind what he described as a “historic movement.”
Raja appealed for mass participation as a struggle for national sovereignty rather than just political survival.
He approached a press conference in Lahore on Monday with senior PTI leaders and condemned what he called constitutional acts targeting PTI legislators, and described a wider crash on dissent.
He criticized the Punjab Assembly’s decision to send references to 26 PTI members to the Election Commission in Pakistan and called the speed illegal and politically motivated. “Our members will continue to raise their votes against this constitutional step,” he said.
Raja accused the government of systematic sidelines over 100 elected PTI members through the manipulation of the form-47 during the election process. “This is not just political technique – it is an attack on people’s mandate,” he claimed.
He also claimed that the protests on May 9 were deliberately represented and claimed that what began as a peaceful demonstration was later portrayed as a violent conspiracy. He called for a judicial commission to examine the events and demanded the release of CCTV recordings to substantiate the claims made against the PTI supporters.
“In prison, Imran Khan continues to praise our assembly members to stand firm,” Raja noted, adding that the PTI founder has been denied both legal and family access and exposed to harsh conditions, including long hours without ventilation.
He warned that Pakistan’s political and legal systems were at a critical time in which he described July 21 as potentially “a dark day in political and legal history.” Raja criticized the state’s use of the Anti-Sedition Act and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) to suppress dissent in both politics and journalism.
He also rejected speculation about internal offers within the party and maintained that PTI members remain united and engaged in their political attitude. “We don’t step back. If anyone fell their reference, it doesn’t mean there was a deal,” he managed.
Raja confirmed the party’s constitutional attitude and said, “Discreaming is only possible under Articles 62 and 63. No one can be disqualified beyond that.” He added that truth narrative had effectively been criminalized and expressed concern about the erosion of freedom of expression.
The press conference took a contentious turn when a journalist asked if Raja’s rhetoric was aimed at keeping PTI’s founder behind the pillars and asked about the nature of the planned protest. Raja responded calmly and said he had recently met PTI leader Aliya Hamza to discuss organizational questions.
However, PTI MPA Farukh Javed Moon interrupted, noticed the journalist’s question “stupid” and asked him to “lower your voice” that accuses him of being disrespectful. The confrontation caused Moon to go out of the press conference while other journalists protested his behavior. Raja tried to step down the situation and called for restraint.
Despite the disturbance, he repeated PTI’s willingness to participate in dialogue and accountability. “We want the truth to prevail – if anyone deserves punishment, let justice take their way. But let’s not punish political dissence,” he said.
Raja concluded by confirming that PTI remains strong both inside and outside parliament and dismissed continuous efforts to sideline the party as meaningless. “The people are still with Imran Khan,” he said. “Whether it’s the 27th or 28th constitutional amendment – it doesn’t change the truth.”
