Imran Khan announces launch of ‘Jail Bharo’ movement amid reports of arrest

Amid speculation over his arrest, former Pakistan prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Saturday announced the launch of the 'jail bharo tehreek' (fill the prison movement) against the ruling coalition of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), reports said.

Addressing a public gathering in Mianwali on Saturday, Imran Khan warned the federal government against threatening the PTI supporters of detention, reported Pak-based The Frontier Post. Khan said that he would "sacrifice his life for real freedom of the country".

Stating that "millions of people are ready to fill jails", the PTI chief said, "We are not scared of getting arrested as I would soon announce a Jail Bharo Tehreek (prison movement)".

Ahead of the Azadi march, Khan said that his party has "far better plans than the government for the protest." "All plans of the 'imported' government against PTI would fail and they would be forced to announce elections," he claimed, reported the daily.

On Friday, local reports suggested that Khan will in all likelihood be arrested or put under house arrest in connection to foreign funding case. This came after PTI leaders including Tariq Shafi, Hamid Zaman, and Saif Niazi were reported to be arrested by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) the same day.

According to a report by ARY News, the order was issued by Pakistan interior minister Rana Sanaullah to authorities concerned to lodge a case against Khan.

The ruling Pakistani government had prepared a "Plan B" to arrest the PTI chief before entering Islamabad in case he began his Azadi march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Punjab, or at Rawat T-Cross if he tried to enter the capital from the south, it highlighted. It further claimed that the police were also to be deployed to arrest him in Tarnol, in case he tried to march on the capital from the northwest.