LAHORE: Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has called on party workers and supporters to express their support for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial on May 6. Khan made the appeal in a special message to PTI workers and supporters on Wednesday.
Khan stated that Pakistan is currently at a decisive point in its history, with record levels of inflation and unemployment and a “mafia” seizing the country. He accused the incumbent government of deliberately taking steps to destroy the Constitution and the Supreme Court. According to Khan, a propaganda campaign is being run against the CJP and SC judges. He urged the nation to come out and show their solidarity with the CJP on May 6.
Khan’s call for support comes after he dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies, asserting that it was the party’s constitutional right. Khan stated that the Constitution stipulates that elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly. He also lambasted the ruling coalition for not implementing the Supreme Court’s orders and warned of country-wide protests. Khan emphasized that a country cannot function without the supremacy of the rule of law and alleged that corruption was deterring overseas Pakistanis from investing in the country. He also claimed that the PTI’s seats were reduced in the 2018 election.
Khan’s call for support for the CJP comes amid a tense political climate in Pakistan, with many accusing the government of trying to undermine the independence of the judiciary. The opposition has accused the government of trying to rig the upcoming elections, and there are fears that the situation could escalate into violence.
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It is not the first time that Khan has called for protests against the government. In 2014, he led a 126-day sit-in in Islamabad to protest alleged electoral fraud in the 2013 general election. The sit-in ended after the government agreed to form a judicial commission to investigate the allegations.
It remains to be seen whether Khan’s call for support for the CJP will result in significant protests or whether it will be met with apathy or resistance. However, the fact that Khan has made the call indicates that he sees the issue as important and worthy of mobilizing his supporters. The coming days could be crucial for Pakistan’s political future, as tensions between the opposition and the government continue to rise.
On Wednesday, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital Medical Board advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to take complete rest, the sources privy to the development said.
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The medical board said that if rest is not taken, swelling in Imran Khan’s affected leg could increase, which could increase the risk of infection. The medical board advised Imran Khan to avoid excessive movement and pressure on the affected leg, saying that if there was an infection due to swelling, surgery would have to be performed again.
The LHC had earlier directed the PTI chief to join investigation in all 121 cases registered against him, observing that he could not skip the investigation.
