Salman Akram Raja Calls for Peaceful Public Mobilization on August 5, Says “If Ten Million People Come Out, the System Will Collapse”
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has called for peaceful public mobilization on August 5, saying that if ten million people take to the streets, the existing political system would not survive.
Addressing a press conference alongside PTI Lahore President Mian Akram Usman, Asghar Gujjar, Hafiz Zeeshan, and other party leaders, Salman Akram Raja said that August 5 will mark three years since former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s imprisonment.
“When I look around and see injustice, the significance of that day becomes even greater,” he said.
Criticizing the country’s governance, Raja alleged that the current system has directly harmed the health and well-being of ordinary citizens. He claimed that Pakistan’s education system is among the worst in the world and accused the government of being complicit in the disappearance of 4 to 4.5 million tonnes of wheat.
He also rejected claims that increases in petroleum prices are solely due to fluctuations in international markets, asserting that the failure to maintain adequate fuel reserves reflects poor governance.
Commenting on Imran Khan’s incarceration, Raja said the PTI founder is being held in solitary confinement because he speaks for the people. He contrasted Khan’s situation with that of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his imprisonment, saying that Nawaz Sharif had been allowed to meet visitors while in jail.
He further claimed that Imran Khan was offered a transfer to his Banigala residence but declined, maintaining that whenever he leaves prison, he intends to continue speaking on behalf of the public.
Announcing the party’s plans for August 5, Raja said PTI leaders and supporters are prepared to face imprisonment if necessary.
“If prison awaits us, then we are ready for prison,” he said. “We are the custodians of Imran Khan’s narrative, and we stand with the people of Pakistan. This case will be fought on the streets.”
He urged citizens to come out of their homes peacefully on August 5 and raise slogans in support of freedom. “If ten million people come out, this system will collapse,” he asserted, emphasizing that the movement would remain peaceful.
Drawing a comparison with student movements in India, Raja remarked that no formal call had been issued to students there, yet they mobilized themselves when circumstances demanded it.
Recalling his own experience, he said he was arrested immediately after stepping out of his vehicle while attending a protest in Lahore following the February 8 elections. “I cannot fight the police alone; I am not a guerrilla fighter,” he added.
