<p>The Pakistan government on Tuesday banned ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party from holding a massive rally on May 25 to prevent them from “propagating their misleading agenda,” after more than 100 supporters were arrested in overnight raids across the country.</p>.<p>On Saturday, Khan had asked his supporters to march peacefully to Islamabad on May 25 to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and fresh elections in the country.</p>.<p>Pakistan’s coalition government, however, has rejected Khan's demand that early elections be held in the country, saying the government will complete its tenure and the polls would be held next year.</p>.<p>“Peaceful protest is the right of everyone but they (supporters of Khan) are not coming for a peaceful protest. We would not have objected if they had not termed their demonstration as a ‘bloody protest’,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told the media here.</p>.<p>The minister said the Pakistan government will not allow the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to spread "chaos and disorder" in the guise of a protest march.</p>.<p>"They will be stopped so that they cannot propagate their misleading agenda,” he said, adding that these PTI workers had moved from “abuses to bullets”.</p>.<p>The Interior Minister was referring to a police constable in Lahore who was killed at a raid to arrest supporters of Khan’s party.</p>.<p>Sanaullah said the cabinet decided to impose the ban to “prevent anarchy” and because Khan’s party failed to assure the administration that the rally would be peaceful.</p>.<p>Over 100 activists belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were arrested in the country's Punjab province on Monday.</p>.<p>The police confirmed that the arrests were made at the behest of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) ruling coalition, and the clampdown.</p>.<p>On Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alleged that Khan wants to unleash a “civil war” like situation in the country.</p>.<p>According to Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesman for the Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, police raids against their supporters started after midnight on Monday.</p>.<p>At a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday, Khan vowed to carry on with the massive rally in Islamabad as planned despite the Pakistan government’s ban.</p>.<p>“I tell my supporters to reach Islamabad and I will also be there," he said, insisting he was not afraid of death and urged his followers to “get ready for sacrifices" for the sake of Pakistan's sovereignty.</p>.<p>Khan also asked the powerful army to stop playing neutral and play its role in ending the current crisis.</p>.<p>Khan, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been adamant that he was ousted from power last month through an alleged US-backed vote of no-confidence since Washington did not like his Russia policy.</p>.<p>These claims were strongly refuted by the US.</p>
<p>The Pakistan government on Tuesday banned ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party from holding a massive rally on May 25 to prevent them from “propagating their misleading agenda,” after more than 100 supporters were arrested in overnight raids across the country.</p>.<p>On Saturday, Khan had asked his supporters to march peacefully to Islamabad on May 25 to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and fresh elections in the country.</p>.<p>Pakistan’s coalition government, however, has rejected Khan's demand that early elections be held in the country, saying the government will complete its tenure and the polls would be held next year.</p>.<p>“Peaceful protest is the right of everyone but they (supporters of Khan) are not coming for a peaceful protest. We would not have objected if they had not termed their demonstration as a ‘bloody protest’,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told the media here.</p>.<p>The minister said the Pakistan government will not allow the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to spread "chaos and disorder" in the guise of a protest march.</p>.<p>"They will be stopped so that they cannot propagate their misleading agenda,” he said, adding that these PTI workers had moved from “abuses to bullets”.</p>.<p>The Interior Minister was referring to a police constable in Lahore who was killed at a raid to arrest supporters of Khan’s party.</p>.<p>Sanaullah said the cabinet decided to impose the ban to “prevent anarchy” and because Khan’s party failed to assure the administration that the rally would be peaceful.</p>.<p>Over 100 activists belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were arrested in the country's Punjab province on Monday.</p>.<p>The police confirmed that the arrests were made at the behest of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) ruling coalition, and the clampdown.</p>.<p>On Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alleged that Khan wants to unleash a “civil war” like situation in the country.</p>.<p>According to Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesman for the Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party, police raids against their supporters started after midnight on Monday.</p>.<p>At a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday, Khan vowed to carry on with the massive rally in Islamabad as planned despite the Pakistan government’s ban.</p>.<p>“I tell my supporters to reach Islamabad and I will also be there," he said, insisting he was not afraid of death and urged his followers to “get ready for sacrifices" for the sake of Pakistan's sovereignty.</p>.<p>Khan also asked the powerful army to stop playing neutral and play its role in ending the current crisis.</p>.<p>Khan, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been adamant that he was ousted from power last month through an alleged US-backed vote of no-confidence since Washington did not like his Russia policy.</p>.<p>These claims were strongly refuted by the US.</p>