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Incarcerated PTI founder and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan has decried the lack of any "meaningful momentum" for his party's planned August 5 protest and urged members to immediately shun internal divisions, Dawn reported in his latest message from Adiala Jail.
A post on Imran's X account stated: "Let me make this absolutely clear: every member of the party must immediately set aside all internal differences and focus solely on the movement planned for August 5th. I do not see any meaningful momentum building behind this initiative at present. I am waging a battle against a 78-year-old system, and my greatest success is that despite unprecedented oppression, the public stands firmly with me." Dawn highlighted the nationwide protest is aimed at marking the second anniversary of Imran's incarceration under multiple cases. He added: "After such a clear mandate, it is the moral and political responsibility of every party member to become the voice of the people. It will be nothing short of disgraceful and condemnable if PTI leaders waste time on internal conflicts at this critical juncture. Anyone found engaging in factionalism within the party will be expelled. I am fighting for the future of our generations and every sacrifice I make is for that cause. To create rifts within the party at this time would be a direct betrayal of my mission and vision." Dawn noted that this stern warning reflects growing tensions following public disagreements among party leadership over protest timelines. Turning his fire toward the government, Imran's message also criticised judicial bias: "The way biased judges are now delivering blatantly unjust verdicts under these courts is visible to the entire nation. We must launch a robust campaign to liberate the judiciary, for no nation can survive, let alone progress, without judicial independence." Dawn emphasised that Imran's legal battles include charges under corruption statutes and the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to protests in May 2023. The special conditions of his detention and the treatment of his family were also underlined in the post. He said, "I am enduring the harshest prison term in the country's history solely for the supremacy of the Constitution and in service of my nation. The level of oppression and authoritarianism is such that even the water I have for ablution is filthy and contaminated with dirt, unfit for any human being." Dawn further reported that PTI's central deputy information secretary confirmed the nationwide protest would proceed under the banner of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP). The movement will be preceded by an all-party conference in Islamabad on July 31, which will shape the next phase of action. Meanwhile, Imran's sons continued their advocacy in the United States. During separate meetings with US lawmakers, their campaign raised concerns about their father's isolation from family, doctors and legal counsel, and they urged international attention to his deteriorating health, Dawn added. (ANI)
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