PTI, TTAP announce nationwide protests on Friday over Imran Khan’s imprisonment and inflation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan on Tuesday announced countrywide protests for Friday against the imprisonment of PTI founder Imran Khan, rising inflation, higher petroleum prices and other issues.

The announcement came during a press conference outside Parliament House after a PTI parliamentary party meeting. Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khattak addressed the media, while TTAP also issued a separate press release outlining decisions taken at a meeting of its leadership a day earlier.

PTI leaders outline protest agenda

Qaiser said the PTI parliamentary party had unanimously backed the decisions taken at the TTAP summit. He said the party and the public were deeply worried about the health of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.

Speaking to reporters, he said the protests would focus on inflation, the increase in fuel prices, concerns over the health of the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi, demands for their transfer to hospital, the release of political prisoners and the restoration of fundamental rights.

He also said the party paid tribute to political leaders and workers who, according to him, had been jailed or subjected to political victimisation during the struggle for democracy. Qaiser alleged that elected representatives had been disqualified and politically motivated sentences had been handed down.

Warning of further action inside parliament, he said the opposition would not allow the House to function if the same attitude towards the opposition continued. He added that PTI had also decided to stage protests during parliamentary sittings.

Qaiser said the coming budget would be an anti-poor budget because, in his view, the government was preparing to impose more taxes at a time when the public was already under severe economic strain. He also said hopes for justice were fading and fundamental rights were being denied.

He demanded that cases against Imran Khan be heard on merit and said that if they were heard transparently, he would not remain in jail. Qaiser also criticised the government’s domestic and foreign policies, saying terrorism was increasing because of wrong policies and that ties with Afghanistan were not being handled properly. He added that business activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was suffering and the public was facing difficulties.

He further demanded the immediate transfer of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to hospital in line with jail rules, permission for meetings, withdrawal of the petroleum levy, an end to electricity and gas load-shedding, and removal of restrictions on transporting wheat and flour from Punjab.

Khattak, meanwhile, said facts related to the cipher issue had emerged in international media and claimed these supported PTI’s position. He alleged that a democratic government had been removed through a cipher and said this had caused serious damage to the country. He also described the government as incompetent and claimed those responsible for alleged rigging through Form 47 would be held accountable.

He invited people across the country to join Friday’s demonstrations, saying the increase in petroleum prices was not only PTI’s issue but one affecting the whole nation. He added that the party leadership and thousands of workers in Punjab were in prison and appealed for broad public participation in the protests.

TTAP press release details alliance meeting

According to the TTAP press release, an important meeting of alliance leaders was held on Monday under the chairmanship of National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai. The statement said Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other alliance leaders attended, while senior lawyer and politician Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan was also present.

The release said participants held detailed discussions on the overall situation in the country and the region and expressed serious concern over worsening economic conditions. The meeting concluded that the government had completely failed in governance, maintaining law and order, and controlling inflation and unemployment.

The statement also said participants pointed to 18-hour electricity load-shedding, severe difficulties faced by farmers, lack of support for labourers and the growing burden on the salaried class. The meeting viewed the upcoming budget as an IMF budget that would place an additional economic burden on the public.

TTAP said the meeting strongly condemned what it called unconstitutional and illegal treatment of opposition parties, including PTI. The participants, according to the release, paid tribute to political prisoners, including Imran Khan, saying they were making sacrifices for democracy and constitutional supremacy.

Expressing concern over reports about Imran Khan’s health, the alliance demanded his immediate transfer to hospital and called for his family members and political associates to be allowed to meet him. The release also condemned what it described as inhumane treatment of political prisoners and demanded the immediate release of all political detainees.

It specifically called for the release of Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Dr Mahrang Baloch, Ali Wazir and other detained leaders. The participants also stressed the protection of the constitutional rights of the provinces and said the supremacy of the Constitution and democracy was necessary to pull the country out of its crises.

The press release said TTAP had decided to hold nationwide protests on Friday at all district headquarters against soaring inflation, the sharp increase in petroleum prices, prevailing lawlessness, the demand for Imran Khan’s immediate transfer to hospital and the release of political prisoners. It also said the meeting considered legislation through what it called a fake assembly formed on the basis of Form 47 to be illegal and said the country was facing one of the worst crises in its history.

The alliance reaffirmed its resolve to continue its struggle at every level for the protection of the Constitution, democracy and the rights of the people, according to the statement.