LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan have announced a countrywide protest campaign demanding the protection of the Constitution and the release of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference in Lahore attended by Mehmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Sardar Latif Khosa and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Mehmood Khan Achakzai said the country’s institutions were facing serious challenges and stressed that Parliament must remain the supreme decision-making body. He said their movement was not aimed at creating conflict but at restoring constitutional supremacy. Achakzai warned against any attempt to sideline Imran Khan from politics, saying such efforts would be resisted through peaceful political struggle.
He added that their protests would remain peaceful but cautioned authorities not to block their political activities. “We do not seek confrontation, but we will not step back from our constitutional right to protest,” he said.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party’s central focus was Imran Khan’s release and well-being. He stated that the party would stand by its founding chairman “till the last breath,” claiming that public support was firmly behind him.
Raja said no force could suppress the voice of the people and expressed confidence that public pressure would ultimately secure Imran Khan’s freedom. He described the former prime minister’s health and release as the party’s top priority, urging workers, farmers and labourers to unite for what he called a struggle for justice and economic relief.
He also revealed that Imran Khan had expressed trust in Mehmood Khan Achakzai and supported his role as opposition leader in the National Assembly. Raja said PTI would continue political consultations with allied leaders as part of its future strategy.
Highlighting economic concerns, Raja criticized the government over rising unemployment and the condition of farmers and workers. He alleged that ordinary citizens were struggling with inflation and lack of opportunities while the government remained disconnected from public hardships.
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser also addressed the press conference, saying farmers in Punjab were being exploited. He announced plans to engage farmer organizations and mobilize support for the protest movement. Qaiser reiterated that PTI belongs to Imran Khan and dismissed any suggestion that someone else could replace him as party leader.
At the end of the press conference, PTI and Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan formally declared that rallies and public gatherings would be organized across the country in the coming days as part of their campaign for constitutional supremacy and Imran Khan’s release.
