PTI’s August 5 Agitation Call Attempt To Divert Attention From IIOJK Annexation: Experts

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jul, 2025) At a time when Pakistan is treading the path toward economic recovery amid daunting internal and external challenges, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder’s decision to launch a protest movement on August 5 from jail has triggered widespread criticism among political circles and civil society particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

August 5 holds deep emotional and strategic significance for Pakistanis and Kashmiris alike. On this blackest day in 2019, India unilaterally revoked Article 370 of its constitution, stripping Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) of its special status—a move Pakistan observes annually as Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation) in solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiris of IIOJK who faced endless oppression and Indian state terrorism for over seven decades.

Senior political analysts and opposition leaders have strongly criticized PTI’s founder call for mass agitation on a date that symbolizes resistance to Indian illegal occupation and honours the great sacrifices of Kashmiris of IIOJK for freedom.

They argued that the timing not only sends a conflicting political message but also risks overshadowing Pakistan’s international stance on the Kashmir dispute.

Leader of the Opposition in the KP Assembly, Dr. Ebad Khan, called the PTI’s protest call of August 5 an affront to the great sacrifices and memory of nearly one million Kashmiris of IIOJK, who continue to suffer under Indian repression and state terrorism.

“August 5 is the darkest day in Kashmir’s history. Choosing this day for political agitation is not just tone-deaf but morally reprehensible,” Dr. Ebad told APP.

“It aligns, inadvertently or otherwise, with India’s narrative and amounts to betrayal of the Kashmiri freedom cause, urging the PTI leadership to review the decision and postpone its planned agitation.”

He referred to Pakistan’s 2021 dossier that presented credible evidence of Indian forces war crimes in IIOJK, including 96,000 extra-judicial killings, over 162,000 arbitrary arrests and torture cases, use of pellet guns leading to 25,000 injuries, human rights abuses cases of 11,250 women, over 108,000 children orphaned since 1989 at the Indian held Kashmir.

“By selecting August 5, PTI is politicizing a blackest day on which Kashmiries were robbed of their identity, language, culture and history besides undermining the collective grief of an entire population of Kashmir,” he added.

He accused PTI founder Imran Khan of using agitation as a smokescreen to exert pressure on state institutions for personal relief while imprisoned in Adiala Jail.

The PMLN leader said that courts were free, urging the PTI founder to fight their cases in judicial forums rather than through mass agitation. He said if a three times elected Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif alongwith his daughter now CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz can appear in courts then why not Imran Khan.

Senior PML-N leader from KP, Hamza Khan, echoed similar concerns, branding the agitation call of PTI as "illogical and desperate."

“After ruling KP for over a decade, PTI has little to show to its fans. From unfulfilled promises of providing 10 million jobs to youth and construction of 5 million housing units for the poor to recent administrative failures, like the tragic drowning of 18 tourists in River Swat, the party now seeks to distract people's attention through protest,” Hamza said.

He criticized PTI’s handling of provincial development, citing incomplete projects like Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium, Metrobus Commercial Plazas and declining standards in public service delivery especially in health and education.

Academics and policy experts strongly believed that PTI’s agitation decision could undermine both internal stability and Pakistan’s global narrative on Kashmir.

Dr. A.H. Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar, emphasized that political unity on Kashmir is crucial after the issue was internationalized after recent Pak-India conflict

“This is not the time for divisive politics. August 5 should symbolize national solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiris, not be hijacked for political theatre,” he stated.

He warned that domestic discord and political wrangling may put the lingering issue into cold storage and play into the hands of inimical forces.

“Democracy thrives on dialogue and debate, not street agitation. PTI’s call for protest on such blackest day reflects a growing trend of exclusivity and confrontation, which threatens the democratic fabric of our society,” he added.

Dr. Hilali urged all political parties to engage in political dialogue and avoid exploiting emotionally charged issues for political gain.

Experts and civil society figures are calling on PTI to reconsider its protest plans and choose a date that does not undermine Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir.

“PTI has a choice to either stand with the oppressed people of IIOJK or engage in political optics that serve no one but those seeking to destabilize the country,” said Dr. Ebad Khan.

As August 5 approaches, the political temperature is expected to rise in Pakistan. However, the choice remains clear whether Pakistan can either demonstrate unity on this critical day or allow partisan politics to erode the very causes that bind the nation together.

The experts said the road to peace in south asia was passing through Kashmir and resolution of this core issue was vital for lasting peace and stability in the region.

APP/fam/