Pakistan's jailed ex-PM Imran threatens civil disobedience movement if demands are not met

Tariq Butt / Reuters

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has called on his supporters to hold a rally next week and threatened to start a civil disobedience movement days after his party led a deadly protest march in Islamabad.

This comes after the apparent failure of the PTI’s "do-or-die" protest, which had aimed to secure his release and rally support for the party.

Imran Khan’s X account is being operated by a PTI activist, who is based in the United States.

Posting on X late night, Imran Khan announced the formation of a five-member negotiation committee tasked with holding talks with the federal government on two key issues: the release of "political prisoners” currently facing trial and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the violent crackdown on PTI supporters during the May 9, 2023 protests and the Nov.26 crackdown on PTI protesters in Islamabad.

"If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be launched from December 14," he stated, warning that the government would be responsible for any consequences that arise from such a movement.

He demanded a judicial probe into the crackdown on the Nov.26 protest march which he said killed at least 12 of his supporters and violence on May 9 last year which killed 8. All arrested political workers should also be released, he said.

"If these two demands are not met, a civil disobedience movement will start from Dec.14, and the government will be held responsible for any consequences," Imran Khan said.

In addition to the political prisoners' demand, he announced a "grand gathering" in Peshawar on December 13 to "pay homage to the martyrs” who, according to him, were killed during the Islamabad protests.

He claimed that many PTI workers are still missing and urged the Supreme Court to take action against the human rights violations he believes have occurred. "We approached the Supreme Court, Lahore and Islamabad high courts over serious violations of human rights, but no action was taken,” he added.

The government denies any deaths during the Nov.26 protest march, and says that Khan's supporters had attacked military installations on May 9 last year.

Imran Khan was indicted on Thursday on charges of directing the May 9 attacks, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The indictment was the latest in dozens of cases against the 72-year-old former cricket star, who has been in jail since late last year.