ISLAMABAD: Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, on Monday arrived in the southern port city of Karachi to mobilize people for a Sept. 27 nationwide protest to demand jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s transfer to a hospital and his subsequent release, Khan’s party said.

Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in 2022 after losing a parliamentary no-trust vote, has been in jail since Aug. 2023 on a slew of charges, which his party says are politically motivated. The government denies persecuting him.

On August 18, the Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Khan to a medical facility for a review in the presence of his sister and personal physician. He was briefly transferred to a public hospital in Islamabad before being returned to custody, prompting his party to file a contempt petition.

Afridi, the chief minister of KP province that is ruled by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been on a tour of the southern Sindh province since last week to mobilize supporters for Khan’s release ahead of the Sept. 27 protest call by his party.

“Imran Khan sahib, he is fighting your war. What is he lacking? If he were hungry for power, he would have been out with a single signature, but he is not worried about himself; his concern is for you, for the future of your children. He is fighting your war,” Afridi said as he led caravans of supporters to Karachi from Sindh’s Hyderabad and Umerkot in wee hours of Monday.

The KP chief minister was due to hold a rally in Karachi on Sunday night, but he accused the Sindh provincial government of creating hurdles on his way to the port city. There was no immediate response to the statement by provincial authorities.

Afridi vowed not to leave the province without launching the ‘Free Imran Khan’ campaign with his rally in the port city.

“My dear Pakistanis, youth of Karachi! A great responsibility is coming upon you. Imran Khan is fighting your battle, now you must stand by Imran Khan,” Afridi told supporters, following his arrival in the city.

Since he lost power in 2022, Khan has faced multiple cases on ​corruption charges, including over state gifts and an accusation of an unlawful marriage.

His family and party have said they fear for his ‌deteriorating health in prison and say they have been denied access to him. His lawyer told a court earlier this year that Khan had lost significant vision in his right eye while in custody. A medical board later said his vision had improved.

All of Khan’s convictions but one have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. The former premier ​denies wrongdoing.