LONDON/ISLAMABAD (Web-Desk); Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters to launch a full-scale, nationwide wheel-jam strike, declaring that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release will not be achieved through courts or symbolic protests.
In a fiery address via TikTok at his 292nd ideological session—Altaf Hussain dismissed PTI leadership’s legal strategy as futile. His remarks come just days ahead of PTI’s planned countrywide protest on August 5, which marks one year since Khan’s imprisonment.
“Empty slogans and court petitions will not bring Imran Khan out of jail,” Altaf said. “The judiciary has failed to deliver justice even to sitting High Court judges. Why would they grant it to PTI?”
Imran Khan, incarcerated since August 2023 in a corruption case and facing multiple convictions from special courts, has become the focal point of PTI’s nationwide campaign. Party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan recently announced that PTI would challenge the verdicts in court. However, Altaf Hussain questioned the effectiveness of this approach, arguing that the political climate demands direct public action.
“Imran Khan’s fate will not be decided in courtrooms—it will be decided on the streets,” he stated. “PTI workers must stop believing in fairytales. Become warriors. Shut down the country. That is the only way to secure his release.”
Altaf further claimed that, aside from himself, no other political leader in the country has consistently raised their voice for Imran Khan.
His statement has sparked fresh debate as PTI prepares for its August 5 protests, which party leaders say will be peaceful but decisive in their demand for the former premier’s freedom.
