'PTI's civil disobedience movement from 16th'

ISLAMABAD: Amid signs of sharp differences over the launch of the much-hyped civil disobedience campaign, PTI founder chairman Imran Khan Monday delayed the implementation of decision for two days.

Since the party supremo has already decided that the condolence meeting in Peshawar to pay homage to the ‘martyrs of November 26 incidents’ in the federal capital, will now be held on December 15, accordingly, the civil disobedience will start from December 16. Initially, the overseas Pakistanis will be asked to stop sending the remittances.

PTI spokesman Sh. Waqas Akram confirmed to The News that the decision to start the civil disobedience movement from December 16 had been taken by the incarcerated party founder chairman.

Earlier, Imran took to his social account to announce the condolence meeting on December 13 for Pakistan and December 15 for overseas Pakistanis as well as launching of the disobedience on December 14 if his two demands were not met.

He had posted his statement, including the two demands on his ‘X’ account, which are release of under trial political workers and formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26.

Imran also announced the formation of a five-member committee, consisting of Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser. This team has the mandate to negotiate with the federal government on these two demands. However, so far, there are no indications of any headway from either side to begin negotiations.

According to the party insiders, there have been formal and informal consultations in the core committee and political committee meetings on the option of civil disobedience. The two committees’ members have different views on this option but they have agreed to implement it if they fail to evolve consensus and convince the party founder chairman on putting it aside for the time being.

The party leaders have chosen to not speak to the media openly against this matter but Secretary General Salman Akram Raja is one of those, who during an informal media chat in Lahore on Saturday last said deliberations were underway and that he could not talk right now and will be able to speak on the call of civil disobedience after deliberations.