Thursday 28 / November / 2024
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday asked his party's workers and supporters to prepare for "Jail Bharo" movement across the country, Geo News reported.
Khan's comments come in the wake of sedition cases filed against his party's Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry and former member of National Assembly Shandana Gulzar, while Senator Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill were booked earlier for speaking against the military, Geo TV reported. Khan during his televised address said that PTI could have opted for a nationwide strike but the party will choose to fill the prisons instead, amid fears that the country's economy might deteriorate further.
"We have two options: Considering what they have been doing, we could have gone for a wheel-jam strike and demonstrations -- which is also a way and a democratic one," Khan said, as quoted by Geo News.
"But since the state of the economy is so bad, it'll worsen. Therefore, I ask all my workers, the Pakistani nation and everyone to prepare for the Jail Bharo movement," he further said.
The PTI chief said that his party will not remain quiet on the violence being inflicted on his party's members. "Instead of causing destruction, we would now prepare Jail Bharo movement."
"It was their plan to weaken Tehreek-e-Insaf by frightening and threatening," he said.
Khan claimed that his party never committed such atrocities in its tenure as the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government in the centre has, according to Geo News.
"Fawad Chaudhry was picked up from home at 3 am. What did Shandana Gulzar do that made her a terrorist? As the court gives bail to Sheikh Rashid, more cases are being filed against him," he said.
Imran Khan after the arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that efforts were on to arrest and silence him. He, however, said he did not fear death or detention because he had seen death very closely, Pakistan based The News International Newspaper reported.
Khan while condemning Fawad Chaudhry's arrest, said the legal fraternity and judiciary should play their role in the current situation and that those who did not present him before the court must be held accountable.
The country's future seems bleak, the way rulers are leading it, Khan said. He urged the nation to rise.
He further said that the people of Pakistan were the true heirs of its legacy adding that the country needed to be run under the principle of justice, which was also the base of the Medina state.
The News International reported that the former Pakistan prime minister said Fawad was arrested for using the word Munshi, which was not a crime, and added that those who did not present him before the court must be held accountable for this violation of the law. "In order to alleviate poverty in the country, justice must prevail," he said.
