'Freedom struggle': Protests across Pakistan following Imran Khan's ouster
Karachi, Peshawar, Malakand, Multan, Khanewal, Khyber, Jhang, Quetta, Okara, Islamabad, Lahore and Abbottabad are among the cities were large demonstrations were held
Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday (10 April) took out rallies in several cities of the country to protest against the ouster of Khan through a successful vote of no-confidence the previous night.
Karachi, Peshawar, Malakand, Multan, Khanewal, Khyber, Jhang, Quetta, Okara, Islamabad, Lahore and Abbottabad are among the cities were large demonstrations were held, reports The Dawn.
Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 10, 2022
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Protests were also staged in Bajaur, Lower Dir, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Swat, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Nowshera, Dera Ghazi Khan and Mandi Bahauddin.
Earlier in the day, Khan tweeted that today marked the beginning of a "freedom struggle" against what he called was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change".
In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said "it is always the people who protected their own sovereignty and democracy."
A large number of protesters including women and children turned up at Peshawar Press Club and expressed solidarity with the ousted prime minister. The crowd chanted slogans against Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the heads of other political parties along with critique that appeared to be aimed at the military.
Protest was held in Karachi on Rashid Minhas Road where a large number of supporters, including women and children, were in attendance. Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh was among the local PTI leadership that was present.
Imran Khan was ousted as Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday after a no-confidence vote in parliament, bringing to a premature end a tenure marked by a deteriorating economy and signs that he had lost the trust of the powerful military.
Defections from his coalition reflected growing disillusionment among many Pakistanis over high inflation, rising deficits and the perception that Khan had failed to realise his campaign promises of stamping out corruption.
