Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan urged party workers and supporters to stage a countrywide protest on Friday after police officials raided a youth convention in Islamabad late on Thursday.
Supreme court should take a Suo Moto on unprovoked arrests and a Contempt of Court on PMLN fr containerization against its orders…
— Andleeb Abbas (@AndleebAbbas) October 28, 2016
The police clashed with workers as authorities banned all public gatherings in the capital for two months.
Police on Thursday charged activists with batons and arrested dozens of people.
I want all Pakistanis to come to Isl on 2nd Nov – this is a fight for Pakistan’s future; for democracy’s future & for a corruption-free Pak.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 27, 2016
Imran Khan later vowed there would be protests against the crackdown across the country on Friday and challenged the government to arrest him.
“Tomorrow I will protest throughout Pakistan, our workers will protest throughout Pakistan – especially over the way women were mishandled,” Khan told reporters.
“If (the) government wants to arrest me, they may go ahead, but for how long they can keep us inside, we will again hit roads after our release.”
The PTI Chairman is due to lead the protest on November 2 to demand Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down over recent family financial revelations.
PTI leaders were infuriated by the police raid, further fraying relations ahead of the planned protest.
“The government has proved that there is no democracy in Pakistan, it is a monarchy,” PTI lawmaker Asad Umar told reporters from the scene.
