Islamabad, Nov 13 Former Pakistan Prime Minister and founder of Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Imran Khan has called on his party leaders and supporters to gear up for a "massive" anti-government long march and protest in capital Islamabad on November 24. The announcement was made public by Khan’s sister Aleema, who met the leader in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail on Wednesday.
Speaking to media from outside the jail, Aleema said that Imran Khan had issued a "final call" to all his supporters spread across the country, asking them to converge in Islamabad for protest against the government
"On February 8, you brought about a revolution, and you took to the streets to exercise your constitutional right. You took power away from the elite and became powerful. But the entire mandate was stolen," she said.
"Imran Khan expressed his frustration over the theft of votes and being handed over to a selected few. Imran Khan is also very concerned about the erosion of judicial independence. Freedom of the Supreme Court has been taken away”, she added.
Khan's lawyer Faisal Chaudhry announced that the former PM has constituted a committee to organise the announced march towards Islamabad on November 24. He mentioned that Islamabad will be the focal point of the November 24 protest while rallies, protests and gatherings will be organised across major cities of Pakistan.
"The protest will continue until our demands are met," he said.
Among the key demands of PTI and Imran Khan, restoration of the mandate of PTI it secured after February 8 elections, reversal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and the release of all PTI members and supporters, who are detained without trial since the riots of May 9, 2023 are on top of the list.
The latest protest call comes after a series of failed attempts to show public strength. PTI and Imran Khan claim that this is the "final call" to action and that it would mark a decisive conclusion of the ruling coalition government.
The government, on the other hand, has vowed to not allow the PTI to stage any protest in capital Islamabad. It has been witnessed in the past that the government agencies have blocked routes, arrested party leaders and deployed the military well in advance to secure the capital ahead of any such major rally.
The provincial government of Punjab has also used its power to stop PTI from gaining any political momentum and spread its outreach from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province to other areas.
Experts, however, remain skeptical about the success of the proposed protest.
"Imran Khan has made several announcements in the past for protests. But his party members, especially KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who is leading such events, has not been able to walk the talk and always failed to create enough public pressure to give the government a difficult time," said political analyst Baig Raj.
"Khan's superman Gandapur has ended up pleading in front of the military establishment to spare him and has failed to cross the border from KP into Islamabad and Punjab. I do not see him doing anything different this time. The PTI leadership is very weak and people who support the party would only come out in massive numbers if such protests are led by Imran Khan himself. Other than Khan, they do not trust a single leader in the party," added Baig Raj.
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