Pro-CJP rallies - Imran asks people to stand up and be counted

The PTI chief will lead the rally in Lahore from his Zaman Park residence to Lakshmi Chowk

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday kickstarted pro-constitution and pro-CJP rally from his residence at Zaman Park.

Starting his rally with a verse from the Holy Quran that translates as "Help from Allah and a near victory", he said he was incepting the rally and wanted to urge people, whereever they were, to come out for their constitution, their CJP, and their Supreme Court. "Take out one hour from your life starting at 5.30pm because if the country's constitution is derailed, the country will have no future," he added.

"They [the PDM] have derailed the constitution by not complying with the SC's order," he said.

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 6, 2023

The rally will conclude at Lakshami chowk where Mr Khan will address the participants. Gilgit-Baltistan CM Khalid Khurshid, and other PTI leaders including Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Faisal Javed Khan, Yasmin Rashid, Zubair Niazi, and Farrukh Habib have accompanied Mr Khan for the rally.

PTI's rallies in other cities

On the other hand, PTI is also staging rallies in other cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Daska, Hafizabad, Faisalabad, and others. Pictures and videos posted by the PTI Twitter team showed people walking down the road in response to Mr Khan's call.

— PTI Rwp Official (@PTIOfficialRWP) May 6, 2023

PTI secretary general Asad Umar is leading a rally in Islamabad.

— PTI Islamabad (@PTIOfficialISB) May 6, 2023

PTI honoring Mr Khan's call in Daska, Sialkot.

— PTI Sialkot (@PTIOfficialSKT) May 6, 2023

PTI is also staging a rally in Peshawar. 

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 6, 2023

Earlier, Mr Khan had urged people to come out of their homes today (Saturday) to join rallies being held to show solidarity with the chief justice of Pakistan. 

In a Twitter message, the former prime minister wrote: “I am urging people to come out between 5.30 pm & 6.30 pm today to show their solidarity with our Constitution and the CJP”.

He said it was a high time to fight for “our country, to demand our rights, and to stand up for the Constitution”. He asserted that a country where there was no rule of law had no future. 

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 6, 2023

The rallies come amid the ongoing tussle between the judiciary and ruling coalition on holding of snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Supreme Court has ordered holding of polls in Punjab on May 14 with repeatedly maintaining that its order will remain unchanged, however, the government is opposing it by not releasing funds and providing security to the Election Commission of Pakistan as it seeks simultaneous polls across the country.

The PTI will holding rallies in Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad and Rawalpindi to send a message to the PDM government that people will not tolerate the defiance of the court orders and the constitution.

Imran Khan, who was ousted from the PM’s office in April last, will lead the rally in Lahore. It will start from his Zaman Park residence and culminate at Lakshmi Chowk after passing through several areas.

Addressing a speech via video link on Friday, the deposed premier slammed the PDM, saying, "The PTI will fight with PDM till the last ball. The government has no plan in a bid to take the country's economy in the right direction.”

He urged the public to take to the streets in solidarity with the chief justice, adding that it was a decisive time for everyone to stand by the Supreme Court. Mr Khan said that he himself will lead the rally in Lahore.

Mr Khan continued to lash out at political opponents and accused the incumbent government of resorting to unconstitutional tactics. He further said, “These people used to taunt me by asking to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies for the sake of elections.” 

Read also: PTI approaches IHC for staging pro-CJP rally in Islamabad

"Our fundamental rights have been violated. We will sacrifice everything for the sake of the country. We are not going to run away from the country. We have been fighting the mafia. Excuses are being made under the umbrella of agreement with the (IMF)," Mr Khan maintained.

Referring to the rate of inflation during his tenure, Mr Khan said, "During our tenure, the inflation rate was 12.5 percent, which has now risen to 36.5 percent." 

He lamented, “I have repeatedly said that the current rulers are incompetent in controlling the situation in the country. The country witnessed a decline in exports within a year. At the time of the end of our government, the country was witnessing a record increase in foreign exchange reserves”.

Speaking about the elections, Mr Khan said, "I will agree with the government to hold simultaneous elections, if the government manages to present its economic plan till October".

Know More: Islamabad court to indict Imran Khan in Toshakhana case on May 10

Mr Khan added, "The current rulers are resorting to the tactics of ending the politics of the PTI at any cost. The government will only hold elections when they feel the PTI has been weakened”. 

He recalled that as per the Supreme Court's decision, the Punjab Assembly elections should be held on May 14. Mr Khan went on to say that the government was not ready to accept the Supreme Court's decision in this regard.

“There is no protection of the basic human rights when the government refuses to obey the court's decision,” he added.