Rawalpindi, May 31, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced the launch of a countrywide protest movement against the government and declared that he will personally lead the campaign, even from behind bars.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail after meeting Imran Khan, senior PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar revealed that the incarcerated party chief has decided to initiate a nationwide movement, signaling a new phase of political resistance.
“This movement will not be confined to Islamabad, it will spread across the country,” Barrister Zafar said, quoting Imran Khan. “He said we have been pushed to the wall, and now we have no choice but to take to the streets.”
According to Zafar, Imran Khan made it clear that he will direct and lead the protest movement from jail, issuing instructions to party leaders and supporters despite his incarceration. The PTI founder has tasked Barrister Zafar with preparing a detailed protest strategy in consultation with the party’s legal team and senior leadership.
Imran Khan reportedly conveyed that this movement would be “unlike any before” and must produce tangible results. “He was serious, resolute — and made it clear that the time for symbolic protests is over,” Zafar said. “He’s determined to ensure that this movement achieves its goals, no matter the obstacles.”
The PTI leader said the party would finalise the protest plan within the coming days. Responsibilities would be distributed after the next meeting with Khan, who will personally assign roles to key leaders.
Zafar added that Imran Khan continues to express confidence in the party’s leadership but underscored his intent to lead the charge himself. “He said the leadership is capable — but this movement is his to lead,” Zafar told reporters.
Addressing the ongoing legal challenges facing the PTI founder, Zafar said Khan expressed frustration over the lack of relief from both the judiciary and the executive. He noted uncertainty over the next court hearing scheduled for June 5, but added that the PTI remains hopeful.
Imran Khan’s call for mass mobilisation comes amid increasing political tensions, ongoing trials of PTI members, and widespread criticism over the treatment of party leaders and workers since the May 9, 2023, riots.
With Khan now pledging to spearhead the next phase of resistance from prison, the political landscape may be poised for a new round of confrontation.
