Imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan threatens civil disobedience movement By Reuters

Written by Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on his followers to hold a rally next week and threatened to launch a campaign of civil disobedience days after his party led a deadly march in Islamabad.

In a post on Thursday, Khan called on supporters to gather on December 13 in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ruled by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

He asked for a judicial investigation into the campaign to stop the protest march on November 25 which he said killed at least 12 of his supporters and the violence on May 9 last year which killed 8. All arrested political workers must be released, he said.

“If these two demands are not met by law, the civil disobedience meeting will begin on December 14, and the government will face the consequences,” said Khan.

The government denies that people were killed during the November 25 protest march, and says Khan’s supporters attacked military bases on May 9 last year.

Khan was indicted on Thursday on charges of directing the May 9 attack, which he denies.

The case was the latest in many cases against the 72-year-old player, who has been in prison since late last year.

He and his party said the charges were made to keep him out of politics at the behest of the military after he clashed with the army general before his ouster in 2022.

The army denies the charge.