Islamabad: A massive rally of more than 100,000 people took place here on Sunday against the imprisonment of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. The surprising thing is that this rally was led by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The government already knew that the rally was going to take place, so extensive arrangements were made in advance.
Friday is a public holiday in Pakistan. Shops and establishments remain open on Sunday. Therefore, Pakistan’s co-liberal government today announced a strict lockdown across the city and ordered closure of shops and establishments. Initially the internet was partially blocked but later it was completely blocked. Section 144 was also imposed in the entire city.
However, due to the announcement of Pakistan-bandh by Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), thousands of PTI workers took to the streets and the general public also joined them. The result was that the number in the procession reached one lakh. As he moved forward to break the barricades set up by the police, a heated battle broke out between the police and the rally members. Police resorted to tear gas and lathicharge. But the leaders of the rally started retaliating against the police with loud slogans like grow old, break the chains of slavery.
Imran Khan’s wife Bushra-Bibi did not attend the rally. He said he would stay at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin’s Gandhipur (Islamabad) residence and watch the rally.
Defending the government’s stringent preparations and extreme measures, Pakistan’s Home Ministry said it was a court order that no protests would be allowed on roads or railway tracks. We are implementing this order.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a statement ordering people to agitate for freedom and justice.
Another reason for this movement is that the majority of the people of Pakistan believe that the election held on February 8 was rigged, and the second protest is that the recent 26th amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan logically allows the Parliament to Gives the power to appoint judges. The collegium of judges is unfair. There is strong opposition to this from the public, especially the intellectuals, who have instigated the public against the government. Eight days ago, people from different cities of the country had gathered in the capital in the form of a procession to protest against the arrest of Imran Khan and today a big rally started from 3 pm which was led by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He reached here from Peshawar before 3 pm.
