MUZAFFARABAD: A symbolic hunger strike, organised by activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in various parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), for the release of all detainees, including the party’s founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, entered its third day on Saturday.

The hunger strike was called by PTI’s regional president and former AJK premier, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi. In Muzaffarabad, the hunger strike camp has been set up outside the press club, where activists remain in attendance from 3pm to 7pm to voice support for their incarcerated leader.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, PTI’s regional vice president Syed Zeeshan Haider, information secretary Raja Farukh Mumtaz, deputy secretary general Ansar Pirzada, Jabbar Khan Mughal, Shazia Kiani and others claimed that PTI opponents were scared of the party’s widespread support base among the public.

They maintained that despite employing various tactics against Mr Khan, the opponents had miserably failed to dilute his influence and popularity in the country.

The PTI leaders asserted that the PTI was engaged in a battle for the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law, which would continue until these objectives were achieved. They criticized the current Pakistan government for its “lack of confidence,” attributing it to their dubious origins linked to Form 47.

Condemning threats of imposing restrictions on PTI, they said such measures were futile against a party that represented the people’s voice. The speakers stressed that Imran Khan was fighting for national dignity, prestige of Pakistan and constitutional integrity, adding that the struggle for people’s right to governance could not be compromised.

They warned that if the authorities failed to address their demands, people would take to the streets in every nook and cranny of the country, leading to an inevitable end for the current rulers.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2024