Islamabad: Workers for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged protests against alleged results manipulation in several Pakistani cities on February 8, according to a report by Geo News in Pakistan.
In Rawalpindi’s Sadiqabad, PTI workers staged a protest in front of the district election commissioner’s office. To disperse the demonstrators, the police officers stationed in Rawalpindi reportedly used charged batons and tear gas.
After the PTI blocked roads leading to the district election commission’s office, police detained protesters in Rawalpindi who were protesting the results of the elections held on February 8, according to The Express Tribune.
A number of police officers were deployed in the area. The closure of the district office also affected the road leading to the press club. After the closure of the ECP office, the PTI supporters gathered near Murree Road, according to The Express Tribune report.
The protesters offered support to PTI’s founder, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala jail. All police stations have been asked to take action against protests taking place within their respective jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, some PTI workers staged a protest outside the Sukkur Press Club. PTI’s independent candidates from NA-200 and PS-24, Gohar Khoso and Safia Baloch, led the protest, Geo News reported.
Additionally, PTI members staged protests in front of the Sindh office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), where a large police presence was present. Images of protests taking place across Pakistan have been shared by PTI.
In a video that PTI released, a sizable contingent of the party’s supporters were seen protesting the election results.
PTI chief Seemabia Tahir wrote on X, “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers held a peaceful protest in Rawalpindi on the call of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, in which Shehryar Riaz, Chaudhry Nazir, Ziad Khaliq Kayani, and Chaudhry Afzal participated,” under the direction of PTI president Seembia Tahir of North Punjab. additionally took part in and documented a forceful protest against cheating.”
In a post on X, PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen said PTI has a legal right to go to the RO office. In a post on X, PTI stated, “We have a legal right to go to the RO office, but the policemen, to whom we pay dearly, are preventing us from entering by blocking the road. – Shoaib Shaheen.”
تا حیات چیرمین تحریک انصاف عمران خان کی کال پر الیکشن میں دھاندلی کے خلاف سیمابیہ طاہر صدر شمالی پنجاب کی زیر قیادت راولپنڈی میں تحریک انصاف کے کارکنوں نے پر امن احتجاجی مظاہرہ کیا جس میں شہریار ریاض،چوہدری نظیر،زیاد خلیق کیانی اور چوہدری افضل نے بھی شرکت کی اور دھاندلی کے خلاف… pic.twitter.com/Hrc0fASaYW
— Seemabia Tahir (@seemabiatahir) February 11, 2024
PTI supporters held a peaceful protest outside the RO office in Faisalabad. While sharing the visuals on X, PTI stated, “Faisalabad: Peaceful protest of NA98 Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Hafiz Mumtaz outside the RO office: We won the election from here with a lead of about 30,000 according to Form 45.”
PTI under the leadership of the regional president, held protest outside the RO office in Mansehra over the rigging of polls. In a post on X, PTI stated, “Mansehra: Under the leadership of regional president PTE Hazara Babar Saleem Swati, the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, on the call of Imran Khan, continued a peaceful protest against rigging outside the RO office.”
PTI’s protest in various parts of Pakistan came after PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for peaceful protests across the nation against Returning Officers (ROs) on Sunday, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.
He said that the people of Pakistan had complete trust in former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of “slavery unacceptable” in the aftermath of the February 8 polls.He noted that despite the challenges faced on February 8, the people have showcased a clear and transparent mandate in favour of the PTI.
He accused the ROs of “attempting to usurp their mandate once again.” He condemned these “unacceptable attempts to undermine democracy through tampering with election results.”
Gohar Ali Khan warned that any such action would be detrimental to Pakistan and unacceptable to the people, “who will not tolerate any violation of their voting rights.” He highlighted the importance of making use of “constitutional, democratic, and political rights for the fundamental purpose of protecting the people’s mandate,” The Express Tribune reported.
The PTI chairman asserted that gaining a clear majority in the Centre, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the “constitutional and democratic right of the PTI.” He stated that “preserving complete respect for the people’s mandate is in the best interest of Pakistan and should be maintained under all circumstances.”
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