Imran Khan’s party has started a 90-day “do-or-die” campaign against the Pakistani government.

 ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced on Sunday that it has officially started a 90-day protest campaign against the current government. The party called it a “do-or-die” movement, saying it will be crucial for PTI’s future.

Earlier, PTI said it would begin nationwide protests after the Islamic month of Muharram. This decision came after Pakistan’s top court ruled that the party couldn’t have reserved seats for women and minorities in parliament.

Tensions increased further when 26 PTI members of the Punjab Assembly were suspended for 15 sessions. This happened after they interrupted Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s speech on June 27.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur traveled to Lahore on Saturday to discuss the final steps of the party’s protest strategy. At a press conference, he said, “We started our 90-day protest movement yesterday. It’s a do-or-die moment for us — whether we stay in power in KP or not.”

He added that the movement would reach its peak on August 5, which marks two years since Imran Khan was jailed after being found guilty of illegally selling state gifts. Khan denies the charges and claims they are politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed the protest plan as a “political stunt.” He said PTI had made such announcements before and lost both its influence and credibility.

Khan has been in jail since his conviction. PTI continues to demand his release and calls for an independent investigation into the February 2024 elections, which the party believes were not fair. However, the government insists the elections were free and fair, and says PTI is trying to create chaos through protests.

Last year in November, the government claimed four soldiers were killed during a PTI protest. PTI denies this accusation.

‘REAL DECISION-MAKERS’

Gandapur claimed PTI is not being allowed to protest peacefully and said the party will now organize demonstrations across the country. He mentioned that they would soon announce their full plan after discussing it with party workers and leaders.

When asked about talks with the government, Gandapur said PTI is open to dialogue but only with those who truly hold power — indirectly referring to the military.

He added, “Imran Khan has clearly said he will only talk to those who have real authority. What’s the use of negotiating with people who don’t have any power?”

Pakistan’s military, however, denies any involvement in political matters and has rejected PTI’s accusations that it helped remove Khan from power in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote.