WASHINGTON: Hundreds of PTI supporters gathered outside the White House on Sunday as former prime minister Imran Khan warned that elections might not be held in October either.

In an interview to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Mr Khan complained that “there’s no rule of law” in Pakistan, saying that over 10,000 PTI workers had been arrested.

Arriving in two buses from Virginia, PTI workers were heard singing patriotic songs and chanting slogans, expressing their determination to continue struggling for democracy in Pakistan.

One song offered encouragement to despondent supporters, worried over the crackdown on party workers: “Don’t worry, good days will return.”

Buses also brought PTI supporters from other areas in and around Washington, indicating the party’s increased popularity among the Pakistani-American community since Imran Khan’s arrest.

At the White House, “Pakistan Zindahbad” and “Imran Khan Zindahbad” were the most dominant slogans. Unlike previous protests, no anti-military slogans were raised.

“The country is ours, so is the army,” said Johnny Bashir, a local PTI leader. “We are against a handful of generals.”

In his interview to Fareed Zakaria, Mr Khan complained that police had surrounded his home in Lahore, searching every visitor.

“One evening … I opened my house for the media” to show that there were no terrorists inside, as the government claimed.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2023