Imran Khan Threatens Civil Disobedience Movement Over Demands, Announces Peshawar Gathering
Days after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led a failed protest march to Islamabad, party founder Imran Khan issued a warning on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. He stated that his party would launch a civil disobedience movement starting December 14 if the government failed to meet two key demands: the formation of a judicial commission to transparently investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, and the release of under-trial political prisoners.
Imran Khan stressed that the government would be held accountable for the consequences of the movement. “If these two demands are not accepted, we will begin the civil disobedience movement on December 14,” he declared.
The PTI’s three-day protest march, which began in late November, ended on November 26 following a crackdown by security forces. The march was marred by violent clashes, resulting in casualties, including three Rangers personnel and a police officer. PTI claimed that 12 of their supporters died during the clashes, though the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government denied reports of casualties.
The May 9, 2023, protests erupted after Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al Qadir Trust case, quickly turning violent and lasting for more than 24 hours. The riots led to the deaths of ten individuals, with widespread destruction of public buildings and military installations, including Lahore’s Jinnah House and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
In the aftermath, thousands of individuals were arrested for their involvement in the violence. On May 7, 2024, Major General Ahmed Sharif, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), called for PTI to apologize to the nation and abandon its politics of hate. He emphasized that any political dialogue should occur between political parties, with no role for the military in resolving these issues.
In his Thursday post, Imran Khan also announced a “grand gathering” in Peshawar on December 13 to honor the “martyrs” PTI believes were victims of a state crackdown during last week’s Islamabad protest. Khan added that all opposition parties would be invited to attend.
Furthermore, Imran Khan claimed that hundreds of PTI workers were still missing and urged the Supreme Court to intervene, calling for justice and action over human rights violations. Despite PTI’s approach to the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court, no action had been taken, he said.
