By 
11-11-24
Emma Wijnen
Team Pakistan Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has called for a final protest on November 24th. Protests against the government are nothing new in Pakistan. Khan served as Prime Minister from 2018 until 2022, when he was controversially removed from office. Since then, many protesters have taken to the streets to show their disapproval of current policies.
Khan, who is serving a ten-year prison sentence for leaking state secrets, calls for a return of their ‘stolen mandate’ as he believes that the elections in February of this year were rigged. Those elections saw the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) take the win. Additionally, the 26th amendment should be reversed according to the organisers of the protest. The change of law passed this October and has raised some serious concerns on judicial independence. Lastly, they call upon the release of PTI politicians currently incarcerated.
The government’s response to these protests has been a mix of repression and control. Police have used tear gas, mass arrests, and roadblocks to disperse demonstrators. Since the PML-N-led coalition government took power under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in April 2022, it has been accused of restricting certain human rights. Media censorship, the arrest of journalists, and restrictions on social media have been common tactics to suppress dissent. Pakistan’s right to protest and free speech is under increasing pressure. With PTI continuing to challenge the government, and the state responding with force, the future of Pakistan’s democratic institutions remains uncertain.
Sources and further readings:
Aljazeera, ‘Pakistan passes amendment empowering parliament to pick top judge’ (Aljazeera, 21 October 2024) <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/21/pakistan-passes-amendment-empowering-parliament-to-pick-top-judge> accessed on 15 November 2024.
Amnesty International, ‘Pakistan 2023’ (Amnesty International, 2023) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/pakistan/report-pakistan/> accessed on 15 November 2024.
Dawn, Another day of protests, arrests of PTI activists in Punjab’ (Dawn, 20 October 2024) <https://www.dawn.com/news/1866278/another-day-of-protests-arrests-of-pti-activists-in-punja> accessed on 15 November 2024.
Fraser, S and Davies C, ‘Imran Khan: Pakistan former PM jailed for 10 years in state secrets case’ (BBC, 30 January 2024) <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68138591> accessed on 15 November 2024.
Malik M, ‘Situationer: PTI gears up for 24th through gritted teeth’ (Dawn, 15 November 2024) <https://www.dawn.com/news/1872488> accessed on 15 November 2024.
Comments