Imran Khan calls upon his supporters to hold a rally next week in Peshawar

Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has called upon his supporters to hold a rally next week in Peshawar and has threatened a civil disobedience movement if his demands are not fulfilled. The call after his party, PTI, had led a controversial protest march in Islamabad last month.

Khan, in a tweet on X, announced a rally on December 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital. He called for a judicial inquiry into the November 25 protests, which he claimed resulted in the deaths of 12 supporters, and into the May 9, 2022 violence that left eight dead. He also asked for the release of all detained political workers.

“If these demands are not met, a civil disobedience movement would start from December 14 and the government will be responsible for what happens,” Khan said.

Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore amidst growing political unrest. The government denies any deaths occurred during the November protest and accuses Khan’s supporters of attacking military installations during the May 9 riot.

On Thursday, Khan was formally charged with orchestrating the May 9 violence. He pleaded not guilty, continuing to claim the cases against him were fabricated to block his return to politics.

The 72-year-old former cricketer has been imprisoned since late last year on charges he says are part of a wider campaign by the military to crush his party after a falling-out with army leadership ahead of his ouster in 2022. The military has rejected the allegations.

Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview in Lahore, as he fights more than 100 cases filed against him. The latest announcement by Khan could raise political volatility in Pakistan as tensions build up.

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