ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has announced a countrywide protest campaign against the PML-N-led government, declaring that he will lead the movement from behind bars. The announcement was relayed by PTI Senator Ali Zafar following his meeting with Khan at Adiala Jail on Saturday.
Zafar told reporters outside the prison that Khan had decided the party would no longer wait and would now take its message to the streets through a well-organised national campaign. He said Khan insisted that the protest would not be confined to Islamabad and would extend to every part of the country.
Khan, imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges including corruption and incitement to violence, has instructed Zafar to draft a protest strategy, which will be finalised after consultations with the party’s legal and senior leadership. Zafar said Khan remained committed to personally overseeing the movement from jail.
The decision comes amid months of political uncertainty and PTI’s repeated claims that legal proceedings against Khan are politically motivated. Khan had recently signalled willingness to engage in talks with national power players but maintained that any dialogue must serve the country’s interests rather than secure personal relief.
In his latest message, Khan said there was no longer any avenue for judicial or executive relief, prompting the decision to mobilise public protests. Zafar noted that Khan wanted this round of agitation to be more disciplined and effective than past efforts, which had often lost momentum.
Earlier this year, PTI had also announced a post-Eid protest drive that failed to materialise, leading to doubts about its ability to mobilise. However, Khan’s renewed call appears aimed at energising the party’s core supporters, especially amid what PTI views as growing suppression of political opposition.
Observers say the party’s capacity to convert this call into sustained street power remains uncertain, particularly under tight political restrictions. PTI insiders say the final protest blueprint will be shaped in the coming days.
The move also reflects the persistent strain between PTI and the military establishment. Despite occasional overtures from Khan toward reconciliation, the relationship remains tense, with recent events—such as PTI’s absence from a military-hosted event—highlighting ongoing mistrust.
Meanwhile, members of the ruling coalition have dismissed PTI’s protest plans, pointing to the party’s previous inability to generate mass mobilisation since Khan’s incarceration. Still, PTI leaders say this movement will be different.
“This time, the movement will not be symbolic,” Zafar said. “It will be decisive. And the chairman will lead it from his prison cell.”
