Khan's appearance will be his first public outing since an assassination attempt earlier this month, when he was shot in the leg as his march travelled through Punjab. He remains unable to walk so will address the crowds from a wheelchair. According to security agencies, there remains a high risk of another assassination attempt, so Khan will be shielded within a cube of bulletproof glass.
Since he was removed as prime minister in April in a vote of no confidence, his popularity has gone from strength to strength just as Pakistan has spiralled further into a state of political crisis.
The former prime minister known to thrive as an opposition agitator - has mobilised hundreds of thousands of people at his rallies and made speeches filled with incendiary rhetoric.
Khan accused the US of being behind a conspiracy to remove him from power, though he has recently gone on to accuse the new coalition government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, of being "imported" and corrupt. But it is Khan's decision to go up against Pakistan's mighty military establishment that has gripped the people and left the country reeling.
Khan and the senior aides in his party, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI), have not only accused the military of being responsible for pushing him out of office, but also for having a role in the assassination attempt. Khan unsuccessfully tried to file a police report naming Sharif, the interior minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, and the senior army general Faisal Naseer as the three conspirators.
"It is no secret that the [military] establishment played a huge role in removing Imran Khan from power, by forcing our allies to abandon him," said Fawad Chaudhry, a PTI spokesperson.
The government and the military have denied this, and the shooter held responsible has said that he acted alone.
This story is from the November 26, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 26, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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