Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged people on Saturday not to sit in their homes silently and do nothing, but rather to join him and his party in the "battle for justice". In a pre-recorded video, he is heard saying, "I request that you do not remain silent in your homes; I am not fighting for myself, but for you and your children. I implore you to join the 'battle for justice'". Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Islamabad Police arrested Khan in connection with the Toshakhana case and transported him to Kot Lakhpat Jail under heavy security.
"I may be arrested by the time you watch this video. As a result, it is my appeal to you that you do not have to remain silent in your homes. I'm struggling and making efforts not just for myself, but for my people, you. For the sake of your children and their future. If you do not stand up for your rights, you will be forced to live as slaves. And slaves don't have their own lives; slaves are like ants on the floor," Imran said in the video.
"There is no such thing as free will; it must be earned and attained, and you must earn it. Voting is your right; don't let anyone take control of this country," he added.
In response to the arrest, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Punjab stated that the "nation will not sit quietly".
On August 5, an Islamabad trial court convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. The Toshakhana reference case has been a source of contention since the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered Khan's expulsion from Pakistan's National Assembly and a criminal investigation into him.
The Toshakhana department store, founded in 1974, sells gifts and other expensive items received by public officials. It is mandatory for officials to report gifts and other such materials received to the Cabinet Division, according to its rules. Only the president and prime minister are exempt and can keep gifts worth less than 30,000 Pakistani Rupees (PKR). Pakistan's two premiers can also keep the expensive gifts from Toshakhana by paying a certain percentage of their value as determined by the government.
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