Imran Khan Supporters Rally in Washington for His Release By Elaine Pasquini Photos by Phil Pasquini Washington: The two-week extension of the jail sentence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly leaking state secrets prompted Pakistanis in the Washington, DC area to rally on September 17, 2023, for the release of the incarcerated 70-year-old former cricket star. The protest in Lafayette Square outside the White House drew a crowd of some two hundred, including supporters from as far away as Sacramento, California, and Chicago, Illinois. Most of the attendees which included men, women, youth and children carried the distinctive green and red flag of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party which bears a white star and crescent design in the center. The PTI was founded in 1996 by Imran Khan, who served as the country’s prime minister from 2018 to April 10, 2022, when he was ousted by a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Also in abundance were homemade signs reading “Imran Khan is our Last Hope” and “Free Imran Khan.” Sporting the traditional Pakistani shalwar kameez national dress, many in the crowd also carried photographs of their party’s revered leader. Several men wore the distinctive Jinnah cap worn by Pakistan’s founder Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. While Pakistani President Arif Alvi has suggested to the country’s Election Commission that elections be held no later than November 6 of this year, his supporters are demanding free and fair elections be held as soon as possible. (Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)