Party holds convention as Pakistan's ex-Premier Khan completes 1 year in Jail

KARACHI, Pakistan

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan rallied in the northwestern city of Swabi on Monday, demanding his release.

The demand was made at a convention held by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as the former premier completed one year in jail.

The convention was held in Swabi, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which is governed by the PTI, after the central government refused to allow the party to hold the event in the capital Islamabad.

Waving tri-color party flags and sporting matching caps, emotionally-charged party workers chanted slogans in favor of the jailed ex-premier.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also addressed the event.

Khan, 72, who was ousted through a no-trust move in April 2022, is currently languishing in a jail in northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi since August last year.

He is awaiting bail in multiple cases as courts have vacated his convictions in two major cases, and suspended his sentence in the third.

Khan recently offered conditional talks with Pakistan’s powerful military to end a political crisis that has gripped the South Asian country following his ouster.

His three preconditions include the return of his party’s "stolen mandate,” the release of all detained party workers and the holding of transparent elections.

The PTI was stripped of its election symbol in a national vote in February, however, independent candidates it supported emerged as the largest group in parliament.

However, the group could not form a government after it failed to stitch a post-election alliance.

The PTI accuses the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of "stealing" its mandate through "rigging."

The ECP has rejected the allegation.