Rally at California State Capitol Calls for Imran Khan’s Release
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The California State Capitol area appears to have become the gathering place for South Asians airing their sentiments these days as not one, but two events took place here on August 4, 2024, at different times. The first one earlier in the day was by the area Bangladeshi community (their second in two weeks) in support of the Student Movement taking place in their country. And the second was by local supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which was protesting the one-year mark of the incarceration of their leader Imran Khan. This writer decided to attend the second one this time as the situation in Bangladesh was already fast-changing in the protestors favor, while there is still no major shift in the political situation in Pakistan related to Imran Khan, who happens to be popular in both countries.
The gathering here of little less than 100 PTI supporters this time was certainly not short on energy or enthusiasm. With a stage displaying the American and Pakistani flags and signs calling for the former cricket hero and now politician’s release, it was interesting to note that women and children continue to play a leading role at these PTI events, which is always a welcome sight. Two local ladies Uzma and Aliya have taken up the task of raising the visibility of the Pakistani jailed leader and have made frequent appearances locally in Sacramento in support of him and his party.
This writer joined the event in progress as Shaheen, an activist and SVP of the women’s wing ICT Official Group from Pakistan, who is visiting Sacramento was speaking. She strongly condemned the continued confinement of Khan. She said that the PTI leader is fighting for the welfare of future generations of the country. She also said that the questionable results of the last election which transformed victory to defeat between Form 45 to Form 47 were pathetic. She added that she was encouraged that the Pakistani community here got together to recognize that Imran Khan has now been in jail for a year, and we should continue to call for his release. He is neither a rebel nor a traitor but remains Prisoner Number 804. Why should he apologize? What sins has he committed, she asked. Have any of the numerous cases against him been proven to be accurate?
All these questions and observations have some merit. Many subsequent speakers here echoed similar sentiments including Usman, M. Ali, Uzma, Aliya, Firdous, Azhar and Javaid amongst a few others. The passionate speeches all showed their support for Imran Khan, till the gathering paused for Maghrib prayers. A message was relayed from the PTI leadership afterwards.
The almost 72-year-old PTI leader, Imran Khan has been in jail in Pakistan since August 5, 2023. There have been so many cases filed against him that the running joke is that he has scored another century, but just not in the game of Cricket this time. If we can just for a moment forget about him being a political leader (good or bad) and investigate his past, he has certainly been a Pakistani icon who has made the country look good not only on the Cricket field but off those grounds as well. His cancer hospital project alone has earned him a great deal of respect. And his treatment now is not being received well. This protest in Sacramento was a small reflection of the support that he has today. The huge gathering in Swabi in KPK should put to rest any doubts of his popularity within Pakistan itself.
Politics has been and should remain the art of the possible. One can understand the dilemma faced by the establishment in Pakistan. The current dispensation there has taken some very difficult but necessary economic decisions recently. The blowback has been that Imran Khan and the PTI have become much more popular than ever before in the country. Imran has always been popular amongst Pakistani Americans because he has continually engaged with them unlike many other leaders from Pakistan. If he cannot be released, maybe a compromise can be reached now where he can be shifted to a secure place outside of prison while he is fighting his cases? At least his situation will look less grim from there to the rest of the world.
