Decision will finally be made on streets: Salman Akram Raja

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has said that he has no doubt the final decision won’t come from courts or parliament but will be decided on the streets by the people.

“The decision will be made when millions of people take to the streets,” Raja in a post on X.

He said, “This won’t happen through judicial or parliamentary processes. The change will only come if masses turn out in large numbers. With just 8,000 or 10,000, authorities will detain a couple of thousand and disperse the rest. But if hundreds of thousands gather, the power of the people will be undeniable.”

Calling upon the people, Raja said that the responsibility lies with every citizen to step forward, overcome challenges, and take action.

“This is not a job for political workers alone. They are already enduring hardships and standing firm; I salute them. But this is a burden the entire nation must bear.”

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The PTI leader also highlighted the difficult prison conditions faced by former prime minister Imran Khan, who, he said, has been confined to an 8×8 cell without electricity after 6pm in the past 10 days.

“Even convicted murderers get time outside their cells, but Imran Khan has been denied even this basic right. The treatment he’s facing is nothing short of torture,” he said.

Raja said that Khan has shown resilience despite these conditions, although he was given substandard food, which initially caused him illness.

He said that Imran Khan told him that he has been provided with an exercise bike recently. “But the prior conditions were an attack on Khan as a person,” Raja said.

In a recent meeting, he said Khan reiterated his commitment to the people, vowing to remain steadfast in fighting for public rights regardless of military courts or any other challenge.