ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan kicked off his anti-government campaign on Wednesday by organizing the first public rally in Peshawar since his ouster from the country’s top political office in a no-confidence vote.
Khan resigned as a member of the National Assembly on Monday shortly before Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the country’s new prime minister.
He also described Pakistan’s new administration as an “imported” entity, saying it was brought to power through a foreign conspiracy orchestrated by the United States to bring down his government. Washington has denied the accusation.
As people started gathering to attend the PTI rally in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, former state minister in Khan’s cabinet said the city was ready to embrace the ex-prime minister.
“Peshawar is ready to welcome its captain,” Murad Saeed said in a Twitter post.
Khan recorded and circulated a video message on Tuesday ahead of his political rally in Peshawar.
“The biggest message I will give my nation from Peshawar is that you have to protect your independence, your democracy yourself, no one else can do it, no army can do it,” he said. “We have to run a complete campaign that elections should be held immediately in Pakistan.”
Tens of thousands of people also rallied across Pakistan hours after Khan lost the no-confidence vote and said it was time to launch another “freedom struggle.”
The number of participants in the protest demonstration in different Pakistani cities surprised the organizers and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rivals alike since it was widely believed that the former prime minister’s popularity had dwindled after ruling the country for over three years.
While Khan did not participate or address any of the rallies on Sunday night, he thanked the protesters for the “amazing outpouring of support” in a social media post.
The PTI has also planned to hold anti-government rallies in Karachi and Lahore in the coming days.
