Imran Khan calls for another protest on Pakistan's Independence Day

Lahore, Aug 7 (PTI) Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has given another protest call on the country's Independence Day next week, saying he will never bow before this "Looters and Fools Alliance", apparently referring to the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held a countrywide protest in connection with the 'Free Imran Khan Movement' on August 5, in which over 1,000 party workers and leaders were arrested.  Khan, 72, was arrested on August 5, 2023, from his residence in Lahore after being convicted by a court in a corruption case. He has been incarcerated since his arrest due to conviction in other cases, and is being held at the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.

"Our next defining moment is August 14; the day our forefathers freed this land from British rule. But while we gained independence from foreign rulers, we have yet to attain true freedom. As long as the constitution and rule of law are not restored, we cannot call ourselves a free nation," said a message posted on Khan's X account on Thursday.  "On this Independence Day, the entire nation must once again rise in full force against the fascism that grips our country," it added.  "We must liberate ourselves from this mafia and that requires sacrifice. I am enduring the worst prison conditions for the sake of my nation...In their failed attempts to break me, they have subjected my wife, Bushra Bibi, to inhumane conditions as well. Still, I continue to sacrifice for the supremacy of the constitution and the restoration of democracy," Khan's message said.  Khan said that never in Pakistan’s history, even during martial law imposed by past dictators, such blatant oppression was witnessed.

"What we are witnessing today evokes painful memories of the fall of Dhaka," Khan said. "Let me make it clear that I will never bow before this ‘Looters and Fools Alliance’ and I will never accept the illegitimate ‘Asim Law.’ Even if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison, I am ready." Praising his supporters for turning out in large number on August 5 to express solidarity with him, Khan said: "In the darkest era of tyranny and oppression, the massive turnout of the Pakistani people on the 5th of August to register their protest is not only commendable, but also a beacon of hope piercing through the darkness engulfing the nation." "I urge all Pakistanis to shed the fear of prison. My special message to PTI leaders -- remove all fear from your hearts, lead the people, and respond to the call of democracy," he said.

Khan opposed the ongoing military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it was aimed at weakening his party, which is ruling the province, bordering Afghanistan.

"I have always maintained that military operations are never a solution. They only breed more terrorism, hatred, and destruction. No new military operation should be launched in the tribal areas. Their problems can only be resolved through dialogue with elected local representatives," he said.

Khan also opposed the repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, saying that the inhumane expulsion of Afghans is deeply regrettable. PTI MZ ZH ZH ZH