KARACHI – Violent clashes erupted between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and police in Karachi on Wednesday evening as nationwide protests marking the third anniversary of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest escalated into street confrontations.
🚨 ONGOING SHELLING ON THE PTI PROTESTORS IN 🇵🇰 KARACHI. pic.twitter.com/ppQ7svKyXR
— Asad Nasir (@asadnasir2000) August 5, 2026
The unrest unfolded near a private shopping mall in Saddar, where PTI workers gathered in response to the party’s nationwide protest call. The demonstration quickly disrupted traffic around the Karachi Press Club, Governor House, and Metropole, leaving major roads congested for hours.
Tensions flared when police blocked the protesters from advancing toward key locations. As the standoff intensified, law enforcement fired tear gas shells and launched a baton charge to disperse the crowd. Protesters responded by hurling stones at police, triggering chaotic scenes in the city’s commercial hub.
Police later launched a crackdown, detaining several PTI leaders and workers. The operation eventually forced the demonstrators to disperse, bringing the confrontation to an end.
Karachi clashes came as PTI observed three years since the arrest of its founder, Imran Khan, with coordinated demonstrations held across the country. A public gathering took place in Peshawar, while rallies were organized in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Quetta, and several other cities.
پاکستان تحریکِ انصاف سندھ کے جنرل سیکریٹری ڈاکٹر مسرور علی سیال کو 5 اگست کو کراچی پریس کلب کے سامنے عمران خان صاحب کی “مبینہ قیدِ ناحق” کے خلاف احتجاج کے دوران پولیس نے گرفتار کر لیا۔#KhanIllegallyJailed3Years#WorldwideProtestsForImranKhan pic.twitter.com/OONmAEsyfR
— PTI Karachi (@PTIKarachi_) August 5, 2026
Imran Khan was arrested on August 5, 2023, from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore shortly after a sessions court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. He was initially shifted to Attock Jail, where he remained for nearly six weeks before being transferred to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on September 26, 2023, following Islamabad High Court directives and security considerations.
Khan’s supporters staged protests across Pakistan, defying official restrictions and a police crackdown that led to multiple arrests in Punjab as opposition party announced nationwide demonstrations demanding the release of its jailed founder, while authorities refused permission for public gatherings in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, leaving Peshawar as the party’s principal venue for the protest campaign.
Despite the restrictions, PTI leadership instructed workers to press ahead with demonstrations. The party maintained that its campaign for Khan’s release would continue regardless of government action.
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