Imran Khan, the party chairman and former prime minister, will be present at a historic rally that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced will take place in Lahore on Wednesday.
Imran Khan has been eluding attempts by law enforcement to apprehend him as he is accused of money laundering and illegally selling gifts he received while in office. The PTI leadership is unfazed and eager to show its strength in Lahore despite the ongoing legal issues.
At a press conference, party leader Hammad Azhar predicted that “there will be historic scenes in Lahore when that lion (Imran Khan) leaves Zaman Park on Wednesday.” He added that future generations would read about the event and view photographs and videos to understand how a nation comes to life.
Hammad Azhar added that since Imran Khan is currently Pakistan’s voice, no one can silence it. He criticized the government, saying that because the climate in Islamabad is typically pleasant, the officials there frequently forget what the temperature actually is in Pakistan.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in a suo motu notice regarding the delay in the announcement of elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI earlier this month suspended its “Jail Bharo” movement (K-P).
However, a large number of PTI leaders and employees were detained as a result of the movement, which aimed to voice opposition to the government’s policies and put pressure on it to call elections.
Given Imran Khan’s ongoing legal issues, it is unclear how the government will react to the PTI’s planned rally in Lahore. The PTI leadership is steadfast in showing that it still has the support of the populace and that Imran Khan is still a political force to be reckoned with in the nation.