At a rally in Rawalpindi in support of ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan post his ouster on Sunday, the crowd raised the slogan ‘Chowkidar chor hai’. The slogan appeared to be targeted at the Pakistan Army.
After Imran Khan lost the no-trust vote against his government in Pakistan’s National Assembly and was removed as the prime minister, his supporters held rallies across the country on Sunday.
At one such rally, Pakistan’s former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was addressing the crowd when they began chanting ‘Chowkidar chor hai’ (the watchman is a thief). The slogan appeared to have been raised against the Pakistan Army for having ‘stolen’ Imran Khan’s mandate.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed quickly asked the crowd not to raise such slogans and emphasised that they would “fight with peace”. The slogan ‘Chowkidar chor hai’ was earlier used by the Indian National Congress in its campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election in India. In fact, Rahul Gandhi even faced contempt charges over the phrase in 2019 when he wrongly attributed it to the Supreme Court. The court later closed the proceedings against him after he apologised unconditionally.
WHAT SHEIKH RASHID SAID
Addressing the crowd in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi on Sunday, former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that circumstances would change this month and vowed to “end the imported government” that had replaced Imran Khan’s regime.
Further, he announced that a ‘jail bharo’ (voluntary arrests) movement in solidarity with Imran Khan would be held.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called the former Opposition, which had moved the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, thieves and robbers.
Finally, referring to the midnight no-trust vote, he said, “If you want to save your country, then don’t take a decision in the dark of night but in daylight.”