RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, has warned of a civil disobedience movement if his two major demands are not accepted.
In a message on X, the former prime minister announced the formation of a five-member negotiation team to engage in talks with the federal government on two key issues including the “release of political prisoners” currently facing trial and the establishment of a “judicial commission” to investigate the May 9, 2023 incidents and the November 26 crackdown on PTI protesters.
The negotiation committee consists of Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will begin on December 14. The government will bear full responsibility for the consequences,” Khan’s post read. Imran Khan further mentioned that the government would be responsible for any consequences that arise from such a movement.
“For civil disobedience, we will appeal to Pakistanis living abroad to limit remittances and follow a boycott campaign. In the second phase of this movement, we will go even further,” a post wrote.
What is civil disobedience?
Civil disobedience, unlike protest marches, is a non-violent movement marked by the deliberate refusal to obey the policies of government for social purposes without resorting to violence or active measures of opposition.
This form of protest is often used to challenge unjust or discriminatory laws, bring attention to social injustices, or push for reform.
Civil disobedience is held in a peaceful and nonviolent way and the act of disobedience is always deliberate and planned. The movement is often carried out in public, to draw attention to the cause by refusing to comply with a specific law, policy, or command.
Action that would now be regarded as civil disobedience has been a regular feature of social protest throughout history.
This is not the first time Imran has called for civil disobedience. In 2014, he led a similar campaign against then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government, urging supporters to stop paying taxes and utility bills. However, the movement ended a few months later, following the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.
