© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The violent protests in Pakistan by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters has led to a serious turmoil in the country with government lockdowns being defied, violent police opposition by thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) followers which has led to another escalation of political tension.
The PTI founder and former PM, Imran Khan, has been in jail since August 2023 following a conviction in a corruption case. Khan was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022 and he faces more than 150 criminal cases, which his followers claim are politically motivated.
There are several demands of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which has organised protests across the country against the establishment. The first and foremost demand remains the release of their party supremo Imran Khan immediately.
Imran Khan on Sunday urged his supporters to descend on Islamabad and demand his release from prison. The PTI workers also demand for fresh elections to be called as they accuse the government of rigging the polls and undermining democracy.
The PTI workers also demand that constitutional amendments that have curtailed judicial powers to be reversed. Imran Khan has claimed that the amendments have damaged judicial independence.
Former PM Imran Khan has alleged that the Pakistani government and the Army have teamed up to destroy his party while the government has said that Khan is encouraging his party workers and followers to organise violent protests and it claims that the charges are legitimate.
The government led by PM Shehbaz Sharif has also declined the demands to negotiate for his release.
According to Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, the PTI has raised its demand by obtaining an (National Reconciliation Ordinance) NRO-like concession for Khan’s release but Tarar said that the government could not fulfil it lies in the jurisdiction of the courts, as reported by ARY News.
