Protests erupt in swat as PTI lawyers demand the immediate release of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi

Protests erupted in Swat on Monday as the Insaf Lawyers Forum staged a rally to voice their opposition to the recent sentencing of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Led by Forum president Naseerullah Khan, the lawyers marched from the district courts to the Swat Press Club, chanting slogans in support of the couple and calling for their immediate release.

The demonstrators, holding placards and banners, condemned what they called an unlawful verdict delivered by a “deposed and imported judge.” According to the protesters, the decision was a severe miscarriage of justice, with members of the Insaf Lawyers Forum demanding the Supreme Court annul the sentence and free the couple.

Addressing the crowd, Naseerullah Khan, along with other key leaders including Muazzam Ali Khan and Abdul Wadood, expressed outrage at the conviction, emphasising that Bushra Bibi’s involvement in the case was unfounded, as she had never held a public office. The protesters argued that the charges against her, and by extension her husband, were politically motivated, adding to the growing sense of injustice within PTI supporters.

The lawyers called for the immediate release of all PTI members detained on political grounds, warning that if the government did not respond promptly, it could trigger a new political crisis in the country. “If the stubbornness of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his associates persists, the government will be responsible for the resulting turmoil,” the lawyers warned.

The rally’s focus remained firmly on Imran Khan’s plight, with the demonstrators demanding that the ruling party’s actions be scrutinised for their alleged political bias. The case has sparked widespread anger among PTI supporters, who view the verdict as part of an ongoing political vendetta against the former prime minister and his wife.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Swat’s district police officer (DPO), Nasir Mehmood, met with a delegation from the United Nations Women’s Organisation to discuss the renovation of facilities for women police officers. The delegation’s efforts were praised for improving morale and enhancing the public service capabilities of female officers in the region.