PTI’s incarcerated leader Imran Khan has again hinted at launching a countrywide protest campaign. In a message shared via his official X account, the former prime minister has asked his supporters to prepare for the movement, but didn’t clearly specify the objectives and timeframe for the planned protest.
“All of you should be prepared — a nationwide protest movement will be launched soon,” he said. The question, however, remains whether the next PTI movement would bring about results different from his previous calls. The bigger question pertains to the PTI’s ability to mobilise popular support, particularly in the ‘battleground’ province of Punjab, into sustained protests to achieve whatever goal its leader has in mind.
Apparently, not everyone in the party is hopeful of the desired outcome. After all, the PTI remains a house deeply divided, with no one seemingly in charge of party policy inside or outside parliament, with Mr Khan incarcerated and his legal battles showing no signs of ending soon.
The call comes amid conflicting hints being dropped by different PTI leaders and Mr Khan’s sisters. For example, PTI president Gohar Ali Khan had recently “expressed the hope that Imran Khan will be released before Eidul Azha”. On the other hand, Aleema Khan said “such rumours were being spread to cool down the nation aimed at keeping them from holding protests.”
In the same breath, she also offered (the establishment) “give-and-take” for the release of her brother but didn’t elaborate. On Thursday, PTI’s Ali Zafar told the media after meeting the jailed party leader that Mr Khan is reportedly ready for talks with the establishment in the larger interest of the country.
The lack of clarity as to what the country’s arguably largest party is looking for and what strategy it intends to adopt to achieve its objectives is concerning. It seems that Imran Khan and other party leaders may be prepared for a ‘compromise deal’ with the powers that be, but are still not ready to talk to the other political parties, especially the ones in power.
This would suggest that the party’s dispute with the institutions is not ideological and that the PTI is looking for another shot at power after mending fences with the right quarters.
The sad fact is that throughout Pakistan’s political history, nearly all major parties have, at different times, struck deals with unelected forces in order to make it to the corridors of power or bring down governments.
This may not reflect a very enviable history for Pakistan’s political parties, but all is not lost. Politicians from both sides need to realise that at stake is not just their own democratic credentials but also the nation’s shared vision of a democratic future for this hapless country.
Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025
