Screengrab of a speech by Imran Khan in Peshawar
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday announced he will conclude the current phase of his party’s “Haqiqi Azadi Movement” (real freedom movement) at a rally in Gujranwala today (Saturday), and announce its next phase.
“Tomorrow our Gujranwala jalsa will be last of our present phase of Haqiqi Azadi Movement,” he wrote on Twitter. “I will announce the next phase at the jalsa,” he continued. “Imported government and its handlers are so petrified that nation is standing firmly behind PTI they are desperately moving on minus-1 formula,” he added, referring to earlier statements in which he had alleged the government was trying to get his disqualified from public office while allowing the PTI to continue operating as a political party.
The PTI launched its “Haqiqi Azadi Movement” in April during a rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan, with Khan claiming it would “free” the country from the rule of a government that he alleges was installed through a foreign conspiracy. Khan was voted out of power in April through a vote of no-confidence, with the incumbent government stressing it was parliamentary procedure and there was no foreign conspiracy. Similarly, the U.S.—which Khan has accused of being the country being the so-called conspiracy—has repeatedly asserted his allegations are false and it was not involved in any attempt to deseat him as prime minister.
Earlier, PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain told a press conference the party would stage protests across Pakistan from Saturday in support of Khan. “It seems like the government doesn’t want to hold elections,” he claimed, adding attempts were underway to politically sideline the ousted prime minister.
“FIRs are being registered against him at a time when there are floods in the country,” he said, reiterating that the incumbent government did not have the public’s mandate. “Keeping in view the political and economic situation, this government cannot be given much more time. Pakistan’s politics have entered its final stages,” he said.