WASHINGTON: “Imran will return, with more powers,” chanted a group of PTI supporters as they gathered outside the Brookfield Plaza in Northern Virginia to protest former prime minister Imran Khan’s exit.

“Unacceptable, unacceptable,” they chanted when one of the journalists covering the event asked: “What’s unacceptable?” “This about-turn, return to the old Pakistan of corruption and nepotism,” one of them responded.

This was a spontaneous protest of PTI supporters who came with party flags to protest but still did not know what to say and how to say it. There were no posters, no banners, no placards. Just anger and frustration.

“The court is wrong and the forces that backed the move against Khan are wrong too,” said Khalid Tanveer, a shop owner and one of the first in the area to join PTI.

Johnny Bashir, PTI’s local head, said he had no doubt “Imran will return, with new vigor and a new team. A team which will not include turncoats and cowards.”

Rana Saadat, another PTI officer-bearer, declared: “Pakistani-Americans are solidly behind Imran Khan. We will march with him to another convincing win.”

There’s some truth to his claim. Imran Khan is popular among Pakistani-Americans. His first rally in Washington DC drew a huge crowd, larger than any before.

And they always come forward when PTI asks for donations, for a charity or for the party itself. So, their favourite leader’s unceremonious exit is extremely upsetting for them.

But they are also careful while talking about Imran Khan’s claim of a “foreign conspiracy” behind the move to unseat him. They do not want to blame America.

“We are Pakistanis, and we are Americans too,” said Imran Butt, another PTI office-bearer. “We love both. So, we cannot condemn either.”

“No, do not blame America,” said Tanveer. “The conspirators are sitting in Pakistan. The traitors are in Pakistan.”

“This country has given us stability and respect. We love America,” said Imran Shahid, another shop owner and Imran’s supporter.

One obvious change in their attitude was in how they address Imran. When he was the prime minister, he was “Khan Saheb.” Now, they are back to “Imran,” as they called him with affection before the elevation.

One supporter urged “whistle-blowers in Pakistan to come forward and tell us how it happened. We will go after those who committed this treachery.”

Bashir, the local PTI head, claimed “widespread protests in Pakistan would force the new government to hold elections in seven months. And then we shall return with a two-thirds majority in Parliament.”

LONOAN

Supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf faced off outside the residence of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in London on Sunday, as one group celebrated and the other protested the ouster of PTI chairman Imran Khan from the premiership.

A heavy police contingent stood in a chain between the two groups as they chanted slogans against each other’s leaders.

The morning started with a few PML-N supporters gathering outside Mr Sharif’s Avenfield House residence to celebrate. Two men were hired to play the dhol (drum), while party supporters broke into a dance and chanted slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif.

“Chant your slogans loudly so Mian Sb can hear you inside!” said one supporter to the others, as they yelled “sher sher” (tiger). Mr Sharif’s bodyguards stood outside the main entrance of the apartment block. Members of the family were not seen at the gathering.

A stone’s throw away in the green expanses of Hyde Park, hundreds of PTI supporters demonstrated against Mr Khan’s ouster.

Imran Khan’s UK spokesperson Sahibzada Jahangir had in a video message called on the party’s supporters to gather at the park and then march to the US embassy to register their protest against alleged “foreign interference by America in Pakistan”.

A message circulating in PTI Whatsapp groups said the purpose of the demonstration was to raise their voice against “regime change” and the Supreme Court’s decision; and to demand free and fair elections through electronic voting as well as the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote.

At the PTI protest, both speakers and members of the crowd condemned the alleged US role in Imran Khan’s removal, with many saying they believed the letter and conspiracy Mr Khan spoke of was a reality. Several of Mr Khan’s supporters were also critical of the military establishment, and blamed it for his exit.

Emotions ran high and some supporters were teary-eyed as they spoke about their anger over his ouster.

“This new imported government is unacceptable,” chanted Mr Khan’s supporters.

“The sense of pride that we feel as Pakistanis has been instilled in us by Imran Khan alone.”

Some chanted: “No Imran, no remittances.”

The sizeable crowd was made up of PTI supporters from all over London, with many families turning up on the sunny day along with their children. Many wore shirts emblazoned with a photo of Mr Khan, and carried posters in which they condemned the heads of the Pakistan Democratic Move­ment’s component parties.

Although the plan for the PTI crowd was to march to the US embassy at 2pm, hundreds of people instead turned towards Park Lane and decided to take their protest to Avenfield House. Police raced ahead of the PTI demonstrators to create a divide between PML-N workers who were already outside Mr Sharif’s residence.

As the two groups confronted each other, both sides chanted slogans in praise of their leader and denounced the other.

Slogans raised by PTI supporters included “boot polish, boot polish” as well as anti-US chants, while PML-N workers did the bhangra to the drum beats and clapped.

Sahibzada Jahangir, the PTI spokesperson, said Imran Khan’s supporters were ready to give the “last drop of their blood” for him. “Khan will bounce back from the setback.”