Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has announced that the “Jail Bharo” (Fill the Jails) movement will begin on Wednesday next week from Lahore. According to Geo News, Khan addressed his supporters through a televised video, stating that the movement aims to fill the jails, leaving no space for the authorities to hide.

Khan accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led (PDM) government of political victimization of his party leaders and allies, claiming that the police have entered the homes of PTI workers in Multan and used threatening tactics. He further added that the government wants to enslave them by threatening to put them in jails.

The PTI leader announced the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” on February 4 in response to sedition cases filed against his party leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Azam Swati, and Shahbaz Gill. Imran Khan asked PTI workers and supporters to prepare for the movement across the country.

Khan lamented the “torture” inflicted on his party’s leaders, highlighting the treatment meted out to Swati, Gill, and Fawad. He further criticized the caretaker setup, alleging that a man with a questionable character was brought in, and 23 people had inflicted atrocities, of which 16 were brought in.

The tensions between the incumbent government and the PTI have heightened, with no sign of respite as the elections in two provinces, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near. The party’s decision to dissolve the assemblies in both provinces on January 14 and January 18, respectively, has added fuel to the fire.

Imran Khan also fired fresh criticism at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), stating that it is dangerous that the CEC (Chief Election Commissioner) is showing his inability to conduct the election. His comments came after President Arif Alvi summoned CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja for an urgent meeting on February 20 regarding the announcement of the date for fresh general elections.

Khan blamed the interim government for obstructing the probe against the assassination attack on him in Wazirabad on November 3 last year. He further alleged that the interim government’s job is only to conduct elections, adding that they first stopped the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and stole records.

Imran Khan ended his address by accusing the interim setup in Punjab of wrongdoing and being worried about being caught. The PTI chief said that they had been claiming that the coalition government did not have the mandate and cannot run the country.