Pakistan bans Imran Khan's mega rally after crackdown on former Prime Minister's supporters

On Saturday, ousted PM Imran Khan had asked his supporters to march peacefully to Islamabad on May 25 to press for fresh elections in the country.

Islamabad: The Pakistan government on Tuesday banned ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan's party from holding a massive rally on May 25 to prevent them from "propagating their misleading agenda," after more than 100 supporters were arrested in overnight raids across the country. On Saturday, Khan had asked his supporters to march peacefully to Islamabad on May 25 to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and fresh elections in the country.

Pakistan's coalition government, however, has rejected Khan's demand that early elections be held in the country, saying the government will complete its tenure and the polls would be held next year.

"Peaceful protest is the right of everyone but they (supporters of Khan) are not coming for a peaceful protest. We would not have objected if they had not termed their demonstration as a 'bloody protest'," Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told the media here.

The minister said the Pakistan government will not allow the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to spread "chaos and disorder" in the guise of a protest march. "They will be stopped so that they cannot propagate their misleading agenda," he said, adding that these PTI workers had moved from 'abuses to bullets'.

The Interior Minister was referring to a police constable in Lahore who was killed at a raid to arrest supporters of Khan's party. Sanaullah said the cabinet decided to impose the ban to 'prevent anarchy' and because Khan's party failed to assure the administration that the rally would be peaceful.