The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on the instructions of party founder Imran Khan, on Monday announced it will stage protests for an “independent judiciary” nationwide, including Islamabad and Lahore.
In a posting on Khan’s official X account, whose authorship remains a source of controversy, the former prime minister announced the protest in Islamabad would take place on Oct. 4 (Friday). He said that this would be preceded by protests in Mianwali, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur on Wednesday (Oct. 3), and followed by a similar demonstration at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan on Saturday (Oct. 5).
It remains unclear if the government would allow the protests to proceed, as the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024 is in force, requiring any protest demonstrations in Islamabad to secure prior permission from the district magistrate. Over the weekend, the PTI had announced a call for a rally in Rawalpindi, but it could not proceed as authorities resorted to tear-gas shelling and baton charges to disperse crowds. Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur failed to reach the venue and cancelled the protest while still en route.
A day later, following significant backlash from PTI supporters and workers, Gandapur issued a video statement threatening the government and other institutions with dire consequences if they did not allow the PTI to stage their protests. On Monday, he reiterated the threat and vowed to hold a protest at any location announced by Imran Khan.
The announcement on X stressed that Khan’s instructions had been conveyed to Gandapur. It claimed the PTI had “always” staged “peaceful” protests but the law had failed to protect their right to assembly. He said Gandapur had “rightly said that the revolution is imminent,” adding the KP chief minister had conveyed his viewpoint to the public.