Lahore (Web Desk): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan on Friday announced that his party would start 'Jail Bharo Tehreek' (count arrest movement) from February 22.
In a televised address, the PTI chief said he is directing his party to start preparations for the launch of the movement on Wednesday.
“I am announcing, God willing, my ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ from Wednesday. I am telling my entire party today to prepare,” the PTI chief said.
"They [government] are trying to frighten us from jails. we will fill the prisons by offering our arrest and they will run out of space," he said.
Khan said that the movement would begin from Lahore before moving to other major cities in the country.
The former premier said that he was sure that the incumbent coalition government was trying its best to delay elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where the provincial assemblies have been dissolved.
Earlier on February 4, Imran khan had asked his workers and supporters to prepare for “Jail Bharo” movement across the country.
Khan said that the PTI could have opted for a nationwide strike, but will choose to fill the prisons instead in light of the fears that the country's economy might deteriorate further.
“We have two options: Considering what they have been doing, we could have gone for a wheel-jam strike and demonstrations — which is also a way and a democratic one,” Imran Khan said and added, “But since the state of economy is so bad, it’ll worsen. Therefore, I ask all my workers, the Pakistani nation and everyone to prepare for Jail Bharo movement.”