ISLAMABAD: Amid ban on public gatherings in twin cities, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to hold protest demonstrations on Tuesday throughout the country to demand release of party founder Imran Khan, who completed two years in prison on August 5 (today).Party sources said the PTI had finalised its protest plan. According to the party’s schedule, all MNAs and senators would gather outside Adiala Jail under the leadership of PTI founder’s sister Aleema Khan, according to the The News.
The protest is being organised under the banner of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) and would be supervised by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.Provincial Assembly members are expected to protest in their respective constituencies, while PTI leaders from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab have already communicated the plan to the central leadership. All ticket holders have also been placed on alert.
Amid fears of arrest, Salman Akram Raja has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), requesting details of any police or Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cases registered against him. The petition names the interior secretary, Islamabad police, FIA, and others as respondents. Raja also completed biometric verification prior to filing the plea.
PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said the movement would remain peaceful, stressing that the party was not seeking any confrontation. He claimed that Imran’s release could happen within an hour, but reiterated that the PTI would not strike any deal.Though no PTI leader confirmed on record, there were reports that the leadership, including parliamentarians, could try to push their way towards Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to express solidarity with the jailed former prime minister.
According to the announced plan, there will be peaceful protests in four provinces and Azad Kashmir and the elected representatives will hold such activities in their respective constituencies.
“Yes, there is a lack of coordination, mainly due to denial of our leadership’s meetings with the party founder and the restrictions being imposed, like imposition of Section 144 in the twin cities and elsewhere, and a crackdown on party people in Punjab,” a senior PTI leader admitted, when contacted by telephone.When asked if there was a strategy to hold a protest outside Adiala Jail, he replied on condition of anonymity that the party could spring surprises. However, he added, everything could not be made public in the given extremely unfavourable political situation. Meanwhile, security has been significantly ramped up around Adiala Jail following a request for additional police deployment in anticipation of a planned protest by the PTI.
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