Islamabad, Pakistan – The political occasion headed by Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched a “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (fill the jails) motion to “shield the basic rights of the folks”.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) occasion on Wednesday started its drive from the japanese metropolis of Lahore, the place authorities have imposed restrictions on public gatherings in some areas.
In a collection of tweets, Khan laid out the explanations for the “peaceable, non-violent protest towards the assault on our constitutionally assured elementary rights”.
“We face sham FIRs (first info stories filed by police) and NAB (non-bailable) instances, custodial torture, assaults on journalists and social media folks,” he wrote.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician additional stated the protest is “towards the financial meltdownin Pakistan “introduced on by a cabal of crooks who’ve laundered billions in looted wealth” and induced “spiraling inflation and rising unemployment”.
To put in media ppl. Two, it’s towards the financial meltdown introduced on by cabal of crooks who’ve cash laundered billions in looted wealth & gotten NROs for themselves whereas crushing the ppl, esp the poor & center class, underneath the burden of spiraling inflation & rising unemployment.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 22, 2023
In a video message shared on PTI’s Twitter web page, Khan stated the aim of the motion was to attain “true freedom” in Pakistan.
“Truly, this marketing campaign will take you to a free and completely happy Pakistan. And it will solely occur when the state protects your elementary rights,” he stated.
Khan was faraway from energy in April final yr after he misplaced a parliamentary vote of confidence. Since then, he has been holding mass protests to demand early nationwide electionsotherwise scheduled for later this yr.
PTI chief Ejaz Chaudhry advised Al Jazeera that 200 occasion supporters would search arrest in Lahore on Wednesday. “We are going to collect at Lahore’s Mall Street the place we are going to give up ourselves to the authorities for arrest,” he stated.
Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, one other PTI politician, stated the aim of the motion is to counter the “intimidation techniques” of the authorities, including that the occasion staff weren’t afraid of going to jail.
“We’re beginning this motion to interrupt the idols of concern. We’re not frightened of going to jail. Now we have 1000’s of volunteers keen to surrender their private freedoms,” she advised Al Jazeera.
Cheema stated the PTI’s high management was desirous to give up themselves to the police, however occasion chief Khan stopped them. “A few of our high leaders have been eager on going to jail however Imran Khan stopped them in order that the motion’s technique and decision-making will not be affected,” she stated.
Amir Mir, the interim info minister of Punjab province the place Lahore falls, stated the authorities have imposed Part 144 in some areas of town. Part 144 is a colonial-era legislation which bans the gathering of greater than 4 folks in a single place.
“We do not have sufficient house in Lahore jails, so now we have determined to ship them to Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan jails within the province. Now we have sufficient house there,” Mir stated.
Mir stated the PTI chief ought to set an instance by main the motion and courting arrest.
“Imran Khan should finish this contradiction the place he’s in search of bails so he can keep away from going to jail, however however is exhorting his staff to give up. He ought to present his management and provides himself up for arrest slightly than asking his staff to take action,” he stated.
In response, Cheema stated Khan was the one most vital individual within the occasion and that it could do something to guard him.
“He’s fully ready to go to jail and is mentally prepared for it. Nonetheless, the occasion management was unanimous that he should be protected at any price. He’s our foremost precedence, and all of us suppose it is going to be an enormous mistake if he goes to jail,” she stated.
Political commentator and former member of parliament, Ayaz Amir, believes Khan’s PTI has managed to place stress on the federal government with their protests. He referred to as the “fill the jails” protest motion “one more headache” for the ruling coalition in Islamabad.
“It stays to be seen how this transfer will influence the federal government,” he advised Al Jazeera. “However the reality of the matter is that if there are people who find themselves prepared to go to jail for Khan, it is a humiliation for the federal government.”
