LAHORE/RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers are staging protests in various cities following the party’s call for demonstrations against alleged rigging, manipulation of election results and theft of the party’s mandate in the February 8 polls.
PTI supporters and activists took to the streets across the country on Sunday, with rallies held in Rawalpindi along with protests in Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities.
The development comes as the PTI, whose candidates contested the February 8 polls as independent candidates and have since joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), emerged as the single largest winning group after the general elections.
However, the party raised serious allegations of rigging and manipulation of election results through modification of Form 47s and again staged various demonstrations inside and outside Parliament.
Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan even wrote a request to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to audit the February 8 polls.
Meanwhile, in Lahore, police arrested several protesting PTI workers from GPO Chowk as authorities deployed a heavy contingent of police on the city’s Mall Road and other areas to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents.
While in Karachi, police and Sindh Rangers personnel were deployed outside Deputy Commissioner Korangi office in anticipation of protests by PTI workers.
In Rawalpindi, PTI workers and police came face to face after a demonstration rally led by Seemabia Tahir was prevented from entering the city via Khanna Pul road.
The police also detained some party workers who were later “freed” by Tahir.
In Tank, PTI workers took out a rally from Sabir Bazaar to the Town Hall grounds.
Apart from this, protests and demonstrations were also held in Faisalabad, Vehari, Khushab, Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala and other cities.
