Rallies show Pakistan's ex-PM Khan remains political force

Islamabad: Since he was toppled by parliament five months ago, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has demonstrated his popularity with rallies that have drawn huge crowds and signaled to his rivals that he remains a considerable political force.

On Tuesday, he addressed some 25,000 supporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the capital of deeply conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

Khan said he would soon organize a mass march to the capital, as a culmination of his campaign to force the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to hold a snap election, which some analysts say Khan might win due to his growing popularity.

I will soon give you a call for a march on Islamabad, Khan told the cheering crowd, then asked: Are you ready for it?

Yes," came the response from his supporters.

Sharif has rejected the demand for early elections, saying the vote should take place as scheduled in 2023.

As during previous rallies, Tuesday's speech was not shown live by TV stations on instructions from the country's media regulatory agency. The regulators have banned broadcasting his live speeches, purportedly because of his recent critical remarks about the military and judiciary. Viewers also had



difficulty accessing the speech via YouTube and other social media.

Since his ouster, Khan has claimed that the current government came into power under a plot by the US which allegedly disagreed with his more independent foreign policy; Washington has denied such a claim.

Khan had served as prime minister for over three-and-a-half years until he was brought down by an alliance of political parties in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April.

In a new twist to his comeback campaign, the former cricket star-turned-Islamist politician faces terrorism charges for allegedly threatening police and a judge at a rally last month in Islamabad. At the time, Khan sharply criticised the authorities for having arrested his close aide Shahbaz Gill on charges of inciting troops to mutiny against top army generals.

Khan could face several years in prison under Pakistan's 1997 anti-terrorism law, which grants police wider powers. He is currently on a type of bail that shields him from arrest until Sept. 12.

"Look, a terrorist is standing in front of you, Khan sarcastically told the crowd Tuesday evening.

Analysts say that even in the opposition, Khan remains a political force.