NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s former prime minister warned of a crisis similar to that of Sri Lanka if there is a crackdown against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The warning came during a mass rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Sunday evening as the party and Imran faced growing pressure from the Islamabad administration.
“If you want to crush the PTI, as you have made the plan, it will be like Sri Lanka here,“ Imran said in a speech in Rawalpindi’s historic Liaqat Bagh park.
He said if the country’s popular party is not allowed to do politics, the people will be out on the streets.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) late on Saturday made it illegal to broadcast the former prime minister’s speeches live on satellite television channels.
The ban came after Imran during a rally in Islamabad earlier said he would file cases against the Islamabad police chief and a judge over his advisor Shahbaz Gill’s alleged custodial torture and sexual abuse.
Social media users complained about YouTube disruption during Imran’s Rawalpindi speech.
“Metrics corroborate reports of a disruption to YouTube in Pakistan on multiple internet providers,“ Internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed in a tweet.
Imran in social media comments after the speech hit out at the crackdown.
“This is not only a gross violation of freedom of speech but also negatively affects the digital media industry and the livelihoods of many. What they need to understand is that no matter what they do, they cannot suppress the will of the people which is Haqeeqi Azadi (real freedom),“ he said.
“This just shows the desperation of those who for their self interest are willing to push Pakistan towards political and economic chaos,“ Imran said.
The former prime minister has been holding mass rallies since his government was ousted in April via a parliamentary no-confidence motion, which Imran described as a US-backed regime change operation.
The former premier plans to hold another round of mass rallies in many Pakistani cities in the coming days.
Arrest speculation
Meanwhile, a case was filed against Imran under anti-terrorism laws over his comments at the Islamabad rally, sparking speculation on Sunday night that the government planned to arrest him.
PTI leaders issued calls at night for party workers to be ready for street protests all over Pakistan and crowds of supporters gathered in the capital’s Bani Gala area where Imran lives.
Party vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a television interview warned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government of serious consequences if Imran was arrested.
“People are angry now. Think a hundred times before touching Imran Khan,“ senior leader Hammad Azhar said.
“If Imran Khan is arrested by the ‘imported government’ we will ‘take over’ Islamabad and my message to police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore,“ said Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, another prominent politician.
Large crowds gathered at Imran’s residence and people held demonstrations in various cities.
“There is a festive atmosphere at Bani Gala at three o’clock. Women, families and thousands of workers are present. People are on the streets in all major cities, including Lahore and Faisalabad,“ prominent PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said.
He said thousands of people from all over Pakistan were heading towards Islamabad. - Bernama