‘Fight till last ball and don't retreat’: Imran Khan calls more protesters to capital after deadly clashes

Pakistan’s jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan asked late Tuesday his supporters who camped in Islamabad to ”fight till the last ball and do not retreat”, after a day of deadly confrontations between marchers and security forces.

”I salute the people of Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: workers who are standing up for their rights, participating in peaceful protests, and boldly confronting the mafia imposed on our country to demand true freedom and justice,” Khan said in a message from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail where he has been incarcerated since August 2023 in multiple cases.

Khan has been jailed since August 2023, sidelined by dozens of legal cases he claims were confected to prevent his comeback in elections this year marred by rigging allegations.

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Since the February vote his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has defied a government crackdown with regular rallies, but Tuesday’s is by far the largest to grip the capital.

”To my team, my message is clear: Fight till the last ball. We will not back down until our demands are fully met,” he said, urging those who haven’t yet joined the protest march to reach D-Chowk in Islamabad for a peaceful protest and not leave till their demands are met.

The 72-year-old former premier issued a ”final call” on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.

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The PTI supreme leader also revealed that he was threatened with being tried in a military court. ”To those threatening me with trial in military courts, I have a clear message: Do whatever you want, I will not waver from my stance,” Khan said.

Khan further said that on Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s orders, Rangers and police opened fire and shelled PTI workers, killing and injuring peaceful citizens.

”Naqvi will be held accountable for this. Despite the brutality, our people not only remained peaceful but also helped rescue injured police and Rangers personnel who had attacked them,” he said.

The former premier also thanked Pakistanis living abroad who are mobilising support, sending funds, and organising historic protests in their respective countries.

”To our social media warriors around the world, keep amplifying our demands and exposing the injustices happening in Pakistan. Your efforts are crucial in keeping the world informed,” Khan said.

Khan’s campaign

PTI’s chief demand is the release of Khan, the 72-year-old charismatic former cricket star who served as premier from 2018 to 2022 and is the lodestar of their party.

They are also protesting alleged tampering in the February polls and a recent government-backed constitutional amendment giving it more power over the courts, where Khan is tangled in dozens of cases.

Sharif’s government has come under increasing criticism for deploying heavy-handed measures to quash PTI’s protests.

Khan was ousted by a no-confidence vote after falling out with the kingmaking military establishment, which analysts say engineers the rise and fall of Pakistan’s politicians.

But as opposition leader, he led an unprecedented campaign of defiance, with PTI street protests boiling over into unrest that the government cited as the reason for its crackdown.

PTI won more seats than any other party in this year’s election, but a coalition of parties considered more pliable to military influence shut them out of power.

With inputs from agencies.