https://arab.news/rvtyc
- Khan says the ‘establishment’ asked him to postpone Islamabad rally from Aug. 22 to Sept. 8 for security reasons
- He maintains they promised to facilitate the rally in return, but instead blocked all roads leading to the venue
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced his refusal to engage with the “establishment or government,” according to a message from prison shared by his sister on Wednesday, warning that his party is ready to proceed with another public rally on September 22, even without official permission.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held a rally on the outskirts of Islamabad on Sunday, demanding his release from prison after his arrest over a year ago on multiple charges, which he claims are fabricated to keep him out of power. Clashes broke out between his supporters and the police on the day of the rally, with a top PTI leader and Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, warning the government to release Khan within two weeks or his party would free him from jail on its own.
This was followed by a police crackdown on PTI lawmakers, who were arrested from the parliament building, prompting the party to announce a nationwide protest on Friday.
In his message, Khan said the “establishment,” a euphemism for the country’s powerful military, had previously asked to postpone his rally from August 22 to September 8, citing intelligence reports of security threats.
“They gave their reassurance for complete facilitation if the jalsa [rally] was shifted to 8th September,” the ex-premier’s message, shared by his sister Aleema Khanum on social media, said. “Instead, they placed thousands of containers across every entry point into Islamabad.”
Objecting to the dispersal of his party supporters with tear gas and the arrest of lawmakers from parliament, he said, “There will be no further talks with the establishment or government.”
“Rest assured,” he continued, “We will go ahead with the jalsa on [September] 22. NOC [no-objection certificate] or no NOC.”
Khan’s party had already announced a rally in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on September 22.
His message comes after PTI leaders held a news conference on Tuesday, saying they would take their party’s political struggle to the streets, apart from fighting legal and political battles in court and parliament.