Lahore, Pakistan – On Monday, former Prime Minister Imran Khan made a call to action to workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to register with their district presidents for the upcoming “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (court arrest drive).
In a video address released to the public, Imran urged volunteers to come forward and register for the movement, which he vowed to launch within a few days. He stated that he first wanted the PTI district presidents to start the registration process, and then he would announce a specific date for the start of the movement.
Imran’s announcement comes after he publicly declared the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” last week, as a response to what he sees as the current government’s lack of action to hold elections in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and their ongoing “political victimization”.
The former Prime Minister explained the reasoning behind the PTI’s decision to launch the “Jail Bharo Tehreek”, stating that in the world, nations are run by the law, and the Constitution decides what is legal and illegal. He criticized the current “imported” coalition government for making a joke out of the Constitution and the law ever since they came into power, and accused them of openly flouting the directives issued by the courts.
In his address, Imran highlighted that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not yet given a date for provincial elections, which he believes is a violation of the Constitution. He stated that if the government exceeds the 90-day period for announcing polls, the Constitution calls for the imposition of Article 6 against the violators. He added that the people are looking towards the judiciary for justice.
Imran also called on the public to join the movement, describing it as a “peaceful protest” and saying that it was a “jihad” for haqeeqi democracy (real democracy) and the rule of law. He believes that only this movement can help the country out of its current crisis.
It should be noted that PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that the party has not received an official invitation for the conference yet. The “Jail Bharo Tehreek” comes as the country faces increasing challenges, including a recent uptick in terrorist activity and a troubled economy with foreign exchange reserves at a low of $3.09 billion, which many analysts say covers less than three weeks of imports. The country is currently locked in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release money under a stalled bailout program.
