Several leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI, are among those that were arrested today as protests hit the country following a call for February 8 to be commemorated as a ‘Black Day.’ The call was made for protesting the last year’s general elections that allegedly were rigged.
The main rally of the party was held at Swabi which is the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and is currently held by the PTI. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan spoke in the event, stating that “Pakistani politics is not complete without Imran Khan”. He called up the authorities to nullify so-called “fabricated cases” against Imran Khan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also echoed this, saying that ‘Black Day’ protests will be carried on every year as a reminder of the “stolen mandate.
PTI had earlier planned to take out a massive rally in Lahore, but provincial authorities refused permission by citing Section 144 restrictions over public gatherings. Despite this ban, ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took out a rally in Lahore to mark one year of its governance and security forces provided it protection.
Reports indicated a relatively low turnout at the Swabi rally, with PTI workers traveling from Nowshera, Kohat, and Jamrud to participate. Meanwhile, police cracked down on PTI supporters attempting to protest in Lahore and other parts of Punjab. In Multan, authorities arrested PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter, Mehr Bano Qureshi, along with other party workers for violating Section 144.
In Muzaffarabad, several PTI members are detained for trying to hold protests at Azadi Chowk. One dramatic incident saw PTI leader Khawaja Farooq escaping the police when a party worker drove him away before the authorities could do anything to him. However, he was later arrested along with 16 others.
Balochistan also witnessed the same. Here, the government banned the gathering of more than five people for 15 days. Shahid Rind, the spokesperson for the province, confirmed this. He stated the reason to be security.
Reacting to the protests, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused PTI of using state resources and government employees to bolster attendance at its February 8 event in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He challenged the party to hold protests in Punjab, Sindh, or Balochistan instead. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari criticized PTI’s governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing the party of trying to drag the entire country into its turmoil.
This resistance has been supported with arrests and even confinements, yet PTI sticks to the allegations of election rigging, assuring protest for the rest of its political years.