Sun 14 May 2023:
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has called for nationwide “freedom” protests after his dramatic arrest on Tuesday sparked deadly demonstrations throughout the South Asian country.
“Freedom does not come easily. You have to snatch it. You have to sacrifice for it,” the 70-year-old leader said in a speech broadcast on YouTube on Saturday night a day after he was released after the intervention of the Supreme Court.
آج ہر شہر، ہر گاؤں کی ہر گلی میں آئین اور پاکستان کی سربلندی کا خواہاں ہر شہری نکلے
پلے کارڈ ٹائیٹل : حقیقی آزادی | آئین بچاؤ، پاکستان بچاؤ
🕰️ شام 5 بجے #آئین_بچاؤ_پاکستان_بچاؤ pic.twitter.com/JkqsfELrgD
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 14, 2023
He called for supporters to hold protests “at the end of your streets and villages” across the country on Sunday evening for one hour starting at 5:30pm (12:30 GMT).
Khan, who has been slapped with a slew of cases since he was removed from power last April, was freed on bail on Friday after his detention in a corruption case was declared unlawful by the top court. Several top leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party still remain under arrest.
Khan’s arrest, which his supporters called a “kidnapping”, shocked the nation, triggering street protests. Calling for his release, supporters blocked roads and damaged property belonging to the military, who they blame for Khan’s removal.
Sunday morning was quiet after several days of violence and political chaos. Khan has remained steadfast in his demand for immediate elections. He has emerged as the country’s most popular leader and has held numerous rallies since his removal to call for national elections.
Khan survived an assassination attempt last year during one of his large rallies for which he has blamed the country’s powerful army.
“The army chief’s actions have made our military bad. It is because of him, not because of me,” Khan said from his home in Lahore. On Friday, he told reporters that “one man, the army chief” was behind his arrest.
At least nine people died in the unrest last week, police and hospitals have said. No official casualty figures have been announced yet.
Hundreds of police officers were injured and more than 4,000 people detained, mostly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, according to authorities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the head of a shaky coalition, on Saturday warned that those involved in “facilitating, abetting and perpetrating” the violence should be arrested within 72 hours.
Twitter, YouTube, and other major social media services are still inaccessible. On Tuesday night, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was directed by the interior ministry to halt mobile internet service throughout the nation and prevent access to the three social networking platforms.
As of Saturday, mobile data services have partially returned across the nation.
Khan, a former cricket player-turned-politician, was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 following a vote of no-confidence in the legislature. He says the army was involved in getting him fired.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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