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Imran Khan, the incarcerated leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has warned the government of launching a “civil disobedience” movement if his demands are not met, signaling a potentially high-stakes move after the apparent failure of his party’s “do-or-die” protest.
Political analysts view the civil disobedience threat as Khan’s final “trump card,” with the former prime minister having issued a stern warning to both the government and the establishment just days ago.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Khan revealed that he had formed a five-member negotiation committee, which includes prominent PTI figures such as Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser. The committee’s mission is to negotiate with the federal government on two key issues: the release of political prisoners currently facing trial, and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and the violent crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26.
Khan made it clear that if these demands were not met, the party would launch its civil disobedience campaign starting December 14, adding that the government would be responsible for the consequences of this movement.
The PTI’s much-publicized protest in Islamabad, which sought to secure Khan’s release from prison, ended in a hasty retreat following a midnight crackdown by law enforcement. PTI claims that at least 12 of its workers were killed and over 1,000 arrested during the protest, though the government denies using live ammunition and says that four security personnel, including three Rangers and a policeman, were killed in the clashes.
Khan also announced a “grand gathering” in Peshawar on December 13 to pay tribute to the “martyrs” he claims were killed during the Islamabad protest. He further stated that many PTI workers are still “missing” and urged the Supreme Court to take notice of these incidents and fulfill its constitutional duties.
“We approached the Supreme Court, as well as the Lahore and Islamabad high courts, over severe human rights violations, but no action was taken,” Khan added in his message.
