Imran Khan Asks PTI Leadership to Hold Off on Protests, Calls for Government Action

 The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to temporarily suspend its planned civil disobedience campaign, postponing it until Sunday, after the opposition party expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with the government for the country’s betterment and development.

PTI’s legal counsel, Chaudhry Faisal Hussain, stated on Wednesday that party leader Imran Khan had instructed the leadership to hold off until Sunday. If the government fails to address their demands by then, the civil disobedience movement will proceed. Hussain emphasized that either the government should accept the PTI’s demands or convince the opposition that those demands are unjustified, rendering talks unnecessary.

Imran Khan maintains that the demands are legitimate, particularly in light of PTI workers who have been imprisoned for over a year following the May 9 violence. The PTI has put forward two key conditions: the release of prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 riots and the crackdown at D-Chowk in November, as measures to build confidence.

Earlier, Imran Khan warned that if the government failed to meet these demands, including the release of detained party members and the establishment of judicial commissions, he would urge overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances.

After a parliamentary meeting, the PTI issued a statement asserting that Pakistan’s challenges could only be addressed through dialogue. The party stressed that such talks were vital for the nation’s progress. Imran Khan, the statement noted, had consistently sought the country’s development, but the current government had placed numerous obstacles in its path. “Imran Khan formed the committee for negotiations with a constructive mindset,” the declaration affirmed.

During the meeting, PTI members paid tribute to those who reportedly lost their lives on November 26, expressing solidarity with the martyrs and their families. They called for the immediate release of all detained PTI leaders and workers, including Imran Khan. Additionally, the party leaders reiterated their demand for the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9 and November 26 and condemned the raids on the homes of national and provincial assembly members in Punjab.