Imran vows to lead anti-govt movement from jail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder chairman Imran Khan Saturday announced a country-wide protest movement against the government.

Talking to the media after meeting the party supremo in Adiala jail, Barrister Ali Zafar said the PTI founder had announced a protest movement against the government. However, Barrister Zafar, who is the party’s parliamentary leader in Senate, explained that the centre of the movement would not be Islamabad, but the entire country.

“The party founder has given me the responsibility to make a plan for the protest movement. I will present the plan for the protest movement in the next meeting with the party founder very soon. We will plan after consulting lawyers and party leadership,” he said.

He quoted the party founder as telling him that “we have been put against the wall; we have no option but to take to the streets. We will protest across the country, which I will lead from jail”. The PTI founder, he pointed out, expressed the resolve to give all instructions related to the protest movement from jail.

Senator Ali Zafar said the upcoming movement would be unlike any seen before. He emphasised that this time, the movement must succeed, acknowledging that while obstacles were inevitable, solutions must be found to overcome them. The PTI leader said the strategy of the protest movement would be ready in a few days, after the next meeting and that the party founder himself would assign responsibilities with regards to the proposed drive.

He quoted Imran having told him that they were not getting any relief from judiciary and the executive. “Whether there will be a hearing on June 5 (in the Islamabad High Court) or not is a question mark but we hope that we will get relief,” the party founder said.

Separately, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja Saturday alleged that certain decision-makers were selectively allowing individuals to meet party founder chairman Imran Khan in an attempt to influence him into making decisions of their choice. “Let me be clear — this is impossible,” Raja told reporters outside Adiala jail. “Imran Khan fully understands what is happening, and who is being allowed to meet him and why.” He said the PTI founder was well aware of the loyalty and association of each party member and insisted that both the party and its narrative remained deeply rooted among the masses.

Raja expressed regret over being denied access to Adiala jail, despite being part of the legal team representing Imran Khan in a case being heard that day.

Regarding the expected nationwide protest movement, Raja said he was confident of support from the opposition alliance, Tehreek Tahaffuz Aayn-e-Pakistan.