Speaking exclusively to Pakistan Matters, Salman Akram Raja said that protest does not merely mean taking to the streets, clashing with police, or facing bullets. He argued that organized strikes and collective disengagement from the system are also effective and historically proven political strategies.
He stated that the past 500 years of history bear witness to the fact that if 250 million people collectively decide to stop engaging with an oppressive system—by not opening shops, not running taxis and rickshaws, and staying at home—no system can continue to function.
The PTI leader reiterated that such resistance is not meant to be continuous on a daily basis but is carried out under a well-defined plan. “Today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was completely shut, and the information coming from Punjab and other areas is also positive,” he said.
Salman Akram Raja further claimed that even in a major city like Lahore, several breakfast and food outlets that usually remain open were closed.
Commenting on the Basant festival, he said that traditionally Basant was celebrated in mid-February, but this time it has been given a specific political color. He added that the public is fully aware of this and that such measures will not reduce the existing resentment.
Rejecting the notion that a movement begins when a single individual takes to the streets, he said that a movement succeeds only when every individual considers themselves a leader, as seen in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
Referring to past incidents, Salman Akram Raja recalled that when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took to the streets, it was followed by gunfire and loss of lives. He said this is why they do not want to expose the public and children to violence and state force.
He concluded by saying that the true essence of a movement lies in the peaceful expression of collective disillusionment with the system, for which multiple paths and methods exist.
