Islamabad: Protests by government supporters against Imran Khan

The Supreme Court is accused of favoring the former prime minister who, out on bail, called on his supporters to organize new protests. The country’s institutions are now pitted against each other. The hope of an agreement on the date of the elections. Father Khalid Rashid Asi to : “This situation does not help democracy and cannot solve economic instability. Yesterday we prayed for our country in Faisalabad.”

Lahore () – The situation in Pakistan remains tense after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the subsequent Supreme Court order declaring the measure illegal. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which brings together the ruling coalition of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muslim League (PML-N), organized a sit-in protest in the capital Islamabad today, accusing the Court judges favored Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Justice Movement or PTI), who led the opposition for more than a year.

After being released on bail, Imran Khan called on his supporters to hold new protests across the country: “Freedom does not come easily. You have to take it and sacrifice to keep it,” he said in a live broadcast on social media. Imran Khan blamed the army chief for his arrest on May 9, which PTI members and supporters called a “kidnapping. The arrest had sparked violent anti-government demonstrations across the country. More than 1,500 people are in custody and although Internet access has been restored in recent days, many users are still unable to access social platforms.

Parliament withdrew his trust in April 2021 and the former cricket champion launched a protest campaign calling for early elections, initially scheduled for October. After dissolving the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assemblies, where the PTI had a majority, the government resisted the Supreme Court’s decision to hold elections on May 14, and the case remains blocked in court.

Human rights activist Suneel Malik tells : “Since Imran Khan was removed from office after the vote of no confidence, the government, the opposition, but also other bodies of the establishment and the judiciary have been calling into question the primacy of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has already delivered its verdict on the choice of Punjab governor and the date of the general elections in Pakistan, but the political parties have not accepted it as they consider that they favor only one political party. On the other hand, PTI supporters believe that they have the right to burn public and private buildings, destroying the peace of the country, because they consider themselves above the law.”

“The government and the opposition – continues Suneel Malik – should sit down together and decide the date of the elections. For its part, the Supreme Court must ensure a fair trial and justice for all.”

Meanwhile, the country’s institutions have turned against each other. On May 12, the Supreme Court prohibited the authorities from re-arresting the populist leader, who is involved in several court cases. The one that led to his arrest in recent days is related to the accusation that he received land worth hundreds of millions of rupees as a bribe. For its part, the National Assembly (Parliament) today formed a five-member commission to file an appeal against the Supreme Court judges.

Father Khalid Rashid Asi, parish priest of the Church of the Holy Rosary in Faisalabad and diocesan director of the Justice and Peace Commission, told : “It seems that at the moment every institution in Pakistan is fighting to show its power. It’s like a psychiatric hospital where everyone tries to cure everyone else. But this situation is not good for democracy and it cannot solve economic instability either. All institutions must remain in their own sphere, as written in the Constitution of Pakistan.”

“I firmly believe – continues the priest – that politicians should not use religion in politics, avoiding inciting people’s feelings. But I believe that journalists are not doing their duty well in Pakistan either: they write and speak only for their favorite leaders and parties, without regard for democracy, peace and stability in the country.”

“If the political parties really love this country – concludes Father Rashid Asi – they should sit down together and take concrete actions. Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, we organized a day of prayer for Pakistan in our parish, because we believe that our country she is like a mother. We ask God to save this country and we pray for concord.”