Support in rallies shows Pak's ex-PM Imran Khan remains a political force

Since he was toppled by parliament five months ago, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has demonstrated his popularity with rallies that have drawn huge crowds and signaled to his rivals that he remains a considerable political force.

On Tuesday, he addressed some 25,000 supporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the capital of deeply conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

Khan said he would soon organize a mass march to the capital, as a culmination of his campaign to force the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to hold a snap election, which some analysts say Khan might win due to his growing popularity.

I will soon give you a call for a march on Islamabad, Khan told the cheering crowd, then asked: Are you ready for it?

Yes," came the response from his supporters.

Sharif has rejected the demand for early elections, saying the vote should take place as scheduled in 2023.

As during previous rallies, Tuesday's speech was not shown live by TV .