Imran to lead movement from behind bars

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ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan announced on Saturday the launch of a nationwide protest movement against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led ruling coalition, declaring that he will lead the campaign from behind bars.

The announcement was conveyed by PTI Senator Ali Zafar following his meeting with the incarcerated party's supremo at Adiala Jail.

Addressing the media outside the prison, the senator said the former PM had decided that the waiting game was over and the party would now take to the streets in a well-organised countrywide campaign.

"The protest will not be limited to Islamabad," Zafar said. "It will be held across the country. The chairman [Khan] said we have been pushed to the wall. We are left with no choice but to go to the people."

Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 on a raft of charges including corruption and incitement to violence—allegations he denies—told Zafar he would oversee the movement from jail and directly issue instructions to party leaders.

According to Zafar, Khan has tasked him with preparing a comprehensive plan for the protest campaign, which will be finalised after further consultations with the party's legal team and senior leadership.

"The chairman has full faith in the leadership, but he insists on leading the movement himself," Zafar said, "he [Khan] has asked me to draft the initial protest strategy, which will be presented in the next meeting."

The announcement comes against the backdrop of months of political gridlock and PTI's persistent claims of being denied a fair shake. Khan and his party have maintained that the legal actions against him were politically engineered and aimed at erasing him from the political playing field.

Khan's statement followed closely on the heels of his recent overtures to the country's powerful stakeholders, during which he expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue for national unity. He had reiterated openness to a "give and take" with the establishment, but "only for Pakistan's interest," not for personal relief.

However, Saturday's message marked a shift in gears. "We are not getting any relief from the judiciary or the executive," Khan was quoted as saying. "No option has been left for us. We must now go to the streets."

According to Zafar, Khan was adamant that this round of agitation would not be like previous attempts that fizzled out due to internal rifts and external pressures.

"He wants the campaign to be fully planned and effective," Zafar said. "He knows there will be obstacles, but he believes we also have ways to overcome them."

This is not the first time PTI has threatened to launch a street movement. The party had announced a protest after Eid earlier this year, but the plan never got off the ground, fuelling scepticism even among some supporters.

However, Khan's renewed resolve suggests a return to a more confrontational path ahead.

Moreover, the development is likely to dial up tensions between PTI and the military establishment. Despite Khan's earlier calls for reconciliation, relations remain fraught. Notably, PTI leaders were absent from a recent military-hosted dinner celebrating the success of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, Pakistan's retaliatory operation following Indian aggression in May.

The conspicuous absence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from the event further underscored the lingering chill. Despite moments of cooperation during the Pakistan-India standoff, the mutual distrust between PTI and the establishment appears to have deepened.

Meanwhile, ministers from the ruling PML-N coalition have continued to scoff at PTI's protest plans, pointing to the party's failure to mobilise mass support since Khan's arrest.

However, Khan's call to action from a prison cell may still energise PTI's base, which has remained active online and during sporadic public gatherings. Party leaders have been hinting for weeks that a decisive moment was in the offing.

"This time, the movement will not be symbolic," Zafar said. "It will be decisive. And the chairman will lead it from his prison cell."

PTI insiders say the final contours of the protest strategy will be shaped in the coming days.

Observers note that whether Khan's call translates into sustained public mobilisation remains to be seen, especially in a political climate where opposition space has been sharply curtailed.