Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was charged under anti-terror laws on Sunday for allegedly threatening state officials during a rally in Islamabad a day earlier.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) also decided on Monday to initiate contempt proceedings against the former prime minister for threatening a woman judge. If Twitter is anything to go by as a barometer of the nation’s mood, however, the string of developments has left many perturbed.
Investment banker Mir Mohammad Ali Khan said in a tweet: “As much as you [government] tried to suppress Imran Khan, Allah has increased his popularity. If you take any action [against Imran Khan], the nation will stand up and then you will not even find a place to run to London”.
جتنا عمران خان کو دبانے کی کوشش کی اُتنی ہے اُس کہ مقبُولیت میں اللہ نے اضافہ کیا ہے۔ اگر کوئ بیوقوُفی کی حرکت اب بھی کی تو پاکستان اُٹھ کھڑا ہوگا اور پھر آپ کو لندن بھاگنے کی جگہ بھی نہیں ملیگی سڑک پر ائیرپورٹ تک۔۔۔۔۔۔۔
— Mir Mohammad Alikhan (@MirMAKOfficial) August 21, 2022
Positing his take on the situation, journalist Cyril Almeida said: “There’s nothing wrong in what IK [Imran Khan] said, there is nothing wrong in what [Shahbaz] Gill said and there is nothing wrong in what Nawaz [Sharif] once used to say… enough of criminalising political rhetoric.”
There’s nothing wrong in what IK said, there’s nothing wrong in what Gill said and there’s nothing wrong in what Nawaz once used to say… enough of criminalising political rhetoric…
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) August 21, 2022
“It is unprecedented in the recent history of Pakistan that a political leader is held in such high esteem by the people. It needs to sink in that the people have chosen him [Imran Khan] and attempts to cross the line will backfire,” Nahieda Awan, a user, said in a tweet.
It’s unprecedented for in the recent history of Pakistan that a Political leader is held in such high esteem by the people. It needs to sink in that the people have chosen him and attempts to cross the line will backfire.#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لاین_ہے pic.twitter.com/d0X52qqGSa
— Nahieda Awan (@AwanAw21150394) August 21, 2022
“We will not sleep my brothers. We will stand up to support Imran Khan in Turkey, Pakistan, and even all over the world,” Turkey-based Ramazan İzol said in a tweet.
We will not sleep, my brothers, we will stand up to support Imran Khan in we Turkey, you Pakistan, and even all over the world. 🇵🇰❤️🇹🇷
#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن@ImranKhanPTI #ImranKhan #BaniGala pic.twitter.com/H9syDPnN00
— Ramazan İzol (@ramazanizoltr) August 21, 2022
