Former imprisoned Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, urged his supporters on Wednesday to wait outside polling stations after casting their votes in the general elections scheduled for tomorrow. This comes as competing political parties are holding massive rallies to mark the end of the election campaigning period. Pakistanis are heading to the polls on Thursday, amidst the headlines focusing on Khan's conviction and imprisonment, despite the economic crisis and other issues threatening the nuclear-armed nation. Any large gathering of Khan's supporters near polling stations may raise tensions due to what they allege is a military-backed campaign against him and his party. The army denies any interference in politics.
Khan stated via a post on the social media platform X, accompanied by an undated photo of him in plain black clothing, "Encourage as many people as possible to vote and wait at the polling stations. Then stay peacefully outside the election official's office until the final results are announced." The location of the photo, which is Khan's first in months, was not clear. Previously, Khan's supporters widely shared his messages, including using artificial intelligence to convert notes conveyed through lawyers during prison visits into lengthy speeches. Other political parties ended their campaigns late last night before the quiet period mandated by Pakistani electoral rules, which prohibit political campaigning on the day before elections.
