ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has announced that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party will launch a nationwide protest movement with other opposition parties for “the restoration of democracy” and Pakistan’s constitution after the holy month of Ramadan. 

Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated, claims the February 2024 general elections were rigged by the caretaker government at the time and the election commission, who had the army’s backing, to keep him away from power. All three deny the allegations, with the army repeatedly saying it refrains from interfering in political matters. 

The former premier and his party have been accused of leading violent anti-government protests in the past, particularly in May 2023 and November 2024. On May 9, 2023, frenzied mobs across the country carrying the PTI’s flags attacked government and military installations while in November last year, Khan supporters gathered in Islamabad to demand his release from prison. The government says four troops were killed in clashes with Khan supporters. The PTI denies it instigated its followers to violence in both instances, accusing the military and its political rivals of resorting to rights abuses, including torture and a nationwide crackdown against its supporters. 

“After the holy month of Ramadan, we will formulate a strategy in collaboration with all opposition parties and launch a nationwide protest movement,” a statement posted from Khan’s social media account on X said on Sunday night. 

The cricketer-turned-politician said he has directed his party’s negotiation committee to expedite communications with other parties, adding that the PTI would invite individuals from all sectors of Pakistan including lawyers, farmers, laborers, scholars and students to participate in the protest. 

“This protest will be for the restoration of democracy and the constitution, and for our genuine freedom and sovereignty,” he added. 

Khan’s party held negotiations with the government in December 2024 to ease political tensions in the country. However, talks between both sides broke down in January after the PTI pulled away, accusing the government of not fulfilling its two principal demands of forming judicial commissions to investigate the 2023 and 2024 protests. 

The government rubbished the PTI’s allegations, accusing the party of “unilaterally” abandoning talks without waiting for the government to respond to its demands. 

“Despite our repeated demands, no judicial commission has been formed to investigate the events of May 9th and November 26th (2024),” Khan’s statement read. “The truth would have been revealed to the public if such a commission had been established.”

Khan alleged his supporters were being denied their right to visit him in prison, describing it as a fundamental violation of his rights. 

“Even my own children are not allowed to speak with me, all in an attempt to exert pressure on me,” the former premier claimed. 

The government has so far not reacted to Khan’s call for protests. 

Khan’s ouster from office since April 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly after he was sent to jail in 2023. The former prime minister fell out with Pakistan army’s top leaders in the lead-up to his ouster and has since led an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the institution.

He continues to remain popular among the masses, with his party’s rallies drawing thousands of people in various cities. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in New York to attend a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on multilateralism and global governance, state-run media reported on Monday. 
The meeting will be chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb. 18, as China holds the council’s rotating presidency for the month. The deliberations come at a time of growing concerns about multilateralism, particularly after United States President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and a growing number of conflicts around the world.
“Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, flew into New York on Sunday afternoon to participate in the high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on multilateralism and global governance set for Tuesday,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday. 
APP said Pakistan welcomes the “timely initiative” by China to hold the meeting, saying that it underscores the critical importance of multilateralism in addressing today’s global challenges.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to the principles of multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in promoting international peace, security, and sustainable development, the state-run media said. He will also highlight Pakistan’s priorities as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, cooperation, and inclusive global governance. 
Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2025-2026 term in June 2024 with 182 out of 193 votes and officially began its two-year tenure on January 1, 2025.
“On the sidelines of the UNSC meeting, the DPM/FM is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, as well as senior UN officials,” APP said. 
Dar is also expected to give interviews to media and hold a press conference for US-based Pakistani journalists.