ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday announced country-wide protest movement against the government, it was reported quoting PTI Senator Ali Zafar.
The PTI senator clarified that the protest movement will not be centered in Islamabad but will span across Pakistan.
He stated that Imran Khan feels “pushed against the wall” with no options left but to take to the streets, saying that the former prime minister will issue all directives for the movement from jail.
Senator Zafar revealed that he has been tasked by the PTI founder to develop a detailed plan for the protest movement, which he will present during their next meeting.
Describing the movement as unprecedented, Zafar noted that while obstacles are expected, the party is prepared to navigate them. He added that a strategy for the protests will be finalized within a few days.
Ali Zafar also expressed hope for judicial relief in an upcoming hearing on June 5, 2025, though he acknowledged uncertainty about its outcome.
Earlier, PTI reconciled differences between Former PM Imran Khan sister Aleema Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, ARY News reported citing sources.
According to sources, a key leadership meeting in Islamabad, attended by Imran Khan’s three sisters, Gandapur, and party lawyers, focused on unifying the party to expedite efforts for Khan’s release from Adiala Jail.
Sources revealed that Aleema Khan clarified she and her sisters are not politically active but will advocate for their brother’s freedom. The leadership resolved internal disputes and decided to intensify a campaign for Khan’s release, with PTI parliamentarians directed to attend court hearings related to his cases.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan expressed optimism about the potential release of PTI founder Imran Khan ahead of Eidul Adha.
“We are trying our best and hopeful that Allah will open a way,” he said while talking to newsmen in Islamabad.
Barrister Gohar stressed that the concerns raised by PTI workers regarding the prolonged detention of their leader were valid. “No one can comprehend why PTI founder Imran Khan has spent two years behind bars,” he remarked.
US-based group fails to secure meeting with Imran or top officials
A group of US-based Pakistani doctors and businessmen, currently visiting Pakistan in a renewed bid to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and key officials, has returned to Lahore after spending four days in Islamabad without any breakthrough, reliable sources confirmed.
The delegation, which arrived in Pakistan last week, had hoped to secure a meeting with the jailed former prime minister at Adiala Jail and engage in quiet diplomacy aimed at exploring potential relief for Khan amid his ongoing legal and political troubles. However, their efforts have so far met with no success.
According to sources, the group was initially scheduled to return to the United States on Saturday (today) but is likely to extend its stay in Pakistan in a last-ditch attempt to secure the much-anticipated meetings.
The group believes that Imran Khan is aware of their presence and may be willing to meet them, although no official communication has confirmed the possibility. They are trying to meet Khan but without any success so far.
This delegation has a history of behind-the-scenes engagement with both Khan and senior government figures during a previous trip a few months ago.
At that time, they held what were described as trouble-free meetings with Khan and a top official in Islamabad. The contrast during the current visit has been stark, as the group has not been able to connect with any key figures in the capital.
Sources suggest that the delegation is in contact with some PTI leaders including PTI’s Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Aleema Khan.
The group’s attempts at facilitating reconciliation between Khan and the establishment bear no fruits due to the prevailing political atmosphere and unending tensions between PTI and the country’s establishment.
The military leadership, which has reiterated its position of not engaging directly with political parties, is seen as unimpressed with PTI’s continued confrontational stance.
Persistent criticism of the military establishment, aggressive online campaigns, and international lobbying — particularly by PTI’s overseas chapters in the United States and the United Kingdom — have further complicated matters.
The sources said that the visiting businessmen and doctors even believe that the party’s hardline approach has reduced space for constructive engagement.
With no meeting scheduled and no indication of progress, the delegation’s visit shows the widening gulf between PTI and the establishment. Their extended stay in Pakistan suggests continued hope for reconciliation, but for now, the impasse persists.
