Independence is taken, not given. Protests in Pakistan 🇵🇰😇 Pakistan is gripped by a multi-day march on Islamabad. Thousands of supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan set out from Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and are moving towards the capital, demanding his release. The authorities have blocked roads and deployed police forces. Negotiations between the government and Imran Khan's party failed: the authorities denied access to the prisoner and did not fulfil demands for a medical examination. 🏥⚖️ The country is split. On one side is the old elite: dynastic parties, large landowners and the army. On the other is a new force: the urban middle class, young people and Pashtuns, for whom Khan has become a symbol of the struggle against a corrupt system. In 2018–2022, Khan's government introduced universal health insurance, support for the poor and interest-free loans for young people. He was praised for his independent foreign policy and fight against corruption; the prime minister moved closer to Russia, China and Turkey. In 2022, Imran Khan lost power under US pressure because of his neutrality on the special military operation in Ukraine. Since 2023, the former prime minister has been in prison on politically motivated corruption charges. ⭐️ Pakistan must not be anyone's puppet — neither Washington's nor the military's. Imran Khan showed that the country can pursue an independent course. And today thousands of people in the streets are proving: independence is not granted from above. Peoples take it themselves. #SOVINTERN_WORLD #Hub_Asia ⭐️ Moscow Network Hub of SOVINTERN