Imran announces 'pro-judiciary' protests

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has announced a series of protests in support of the judiciary, beginning in Mianwali, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur on October 2.

Addressing his supporters through a statement issued from Adiala Jail on Monday, Khan said, "We will protest at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on October 5, and on October 4, Friday, we will gather at D-Chowk [in Islamabad]."

Imran warned of attempts to "crush PTI" through the so-called "London Plan," adding that his arrest was part of the broader scheme. "They want to break me in jail, but I am not afraid, and neither should the people be."

He said that PTI's protests would remain peaceful, stating, "We have always protested peacefully, but this system has failed to protect us."

The incarcerated leader also highlighted the treatment of women within the party, saying, "Our women are languishing in jails. An 80-year-old woman was charged, yet no one cared."

He also threw his weight behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who led a march towards Islamabad, stating that Gandapur "awakened the province's people" and echoed his call for revolution. "Ali Amin was right; the revolution will come, and our message has reached the public," Imran added.

The PTI leader reiterated his party's commitment to defending the judiciary and continuing their "struggle for freedom." He also mentioned his wife Bushra Bibi, who has been imprisoned for several months, accusing the government of trying to weaken him through arrests.

Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to file sedition charges against PTI leaders over speeches made at a rally in Sangjani, Islamabad on September 8.

According to sources, the law ministry will invoke Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for sedition charges without requiring arrest warrants.

The federal prosecutor general and the law ministry have both approved the charges, with the matter now awaiting cabinet approval before formal charges are filed against PTI leadership.

Separately, PTI's Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram announced the party's protest on October 2 from Mianwali, adding that the protest will proceed with full intensity.

Addressing a press conference, Akram urged authorities not to create any hindrances. "You are here for protection, not obstruction."

He expressed the party's determination to peacefully exercise their constitutional right to protest.

During a press conference, Akram addressed the events surrounding the protest in Liaquat Bagh and the treatment of K-P CM Gandapur and other party workers from K-P.