The campaign, known locally as the “Free Imran Khan” movement, officially began on Tuesday, marking the second anniversary of his incarceration over a £190 million corruption conviction tied to state gifts.

In the eastern city of Lahore, Punjab province’s capital, police detained more than 30 activists from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party seeking to block roads as part of the movement’s launch. This was part of a broader allegation by the PTI that over 200 raids were conducted across Punjab in the days leading up to the protests, with worker homes targeted in an apparent effort to suppress mobilization.

Rehana Dar, a senior PTI figure and former election candidate, was filmed being forcibly boarded into a police van by riot-trained officers — a move that the party condemned as humiliating, especially given her age.

Law enforcement officials say the detentions were limited to a few dozen individuals attempting to obstruct traffic.

The PTI called on loyalists to continue nationwide protests, indicating that August 5 was only the starting point, not a concluding call to action.

In July, anti-terrorism courts in Pakistan sentenced more than 100 PTI members, including high-ranking leaders like Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, to up to 10 years’ imprisonment on charges connected to the May 2023 riots.

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On Thursday morning, an FIR was registered against him and he was said to be at the Margalla police station.

However, lawyer Imaan Mazari, who is representing Matiullah Jan, told Dissent Today that he wasn’t present at the police station when she arrived there to meet him. “They made us wait outside for 30 minutes and when we got in, he was nowhere to be found,” she said, adding that a suspicious car with tinted windows was seen exiting the police station and she suspects Matiullah may have been taken away in it. “We are at the anti-terrorism court and he is not present here either,” she said, adding that the journalist is still missing.

The journalist had been reporting on the alleged violence directed at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers by paramilitary forces in the capital during the party’s long march held earlier this week, seeking incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan’s release. The PTI claims several protesters were shot and killed by the authorities, while the government denies using force.

According to a video message released by Jan’s son on social media, his father was picked up alongside journalist Saqib Bashir, who was later freed. “They abducted them both and freed Saqib Bashir five minutes later,” he said.

Jan’s son added that his father was targeted because of his journalistic work and his recent reporting. Jan hosts a talk show on news channel Neo TV.

Known for his hard-hitting vlogs critical of the country’s military establishment, Jan was abducted in a similar manner in Islamabad in 2020 under the PTI government. He was released 12 hours later amid condemnation from global human rights groups.

A CCTV footage from that incident showed about a dozen men forcing him into a car, but there has been slow progress on the case which is pending before the Supreme Court. Former PM Khan had blamed the military establishment for Jan’s disappearance under his government.

Journalists and activists have condemned Jan’s latest disappearance, noting the impunity with which journalists in the country are being targeted for their reporting.

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