PTI to stage countrywide protests with 'other parties' against 'poll rigging'

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday announced staging countrywide protests with participation from other political parties on March 2 against the alleged rigging in the general elections 2024.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, who is also the party's candidate for the prime minister's slot, made the announcement after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the politician lamented "large-scale" rigging in the polls.

He said PTI would stage countrywide protests against the "rigging" in polls alongside other political parties.

"Our seats were stolen with just a stroke of pen. The people gave the mandate to the former PTI chairman. Nation's mandate and our seats have been attacked," Ayub said.

He said that the successful PTI-backed candidate had the Form-45s. Ayub added that party leaders met the PTI founder, who is incarcerated at the prison, and he is "confident" of the party's stance.

He said that the party would protest in courts and assemblies. "Ours is the fight of truth," he added.

The PTI leader further stated that the party has nominated Amir Dogar and Junaid Khan for the post of National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker.

Separately, speaking to media outside Adiala jail, PTI's central leader Sher Afzal Marwat also said that party founder Imran directed to stage protests across the country on Saturday (March 2).

He said that the meeting with the former prime minister involved discussions on the internal matters of the party. Marwat further stated that PTI's elected members will go to the assembly to take oath on February 29.

Moreover, he said that Khan would write to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as per the party's narrative.

Pakistan staged the biggest election of its history earlier this month, which was extraordinary in various aspects. However, the outcome of the polls did not turn out to be as expected by the political actors as none of them got a simple majority.

The Imran-founded PTI dominated the polls results with the highest number of successful candidates in the February 8 general elections, but still disapproved of the polls results.

Maintaining its stance of having the majority, the PTI also alleges that the polls were "not free and fair" and plans to stage countrywide peaceful protests against the alleged rigging.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — the second and third largest parties in the polls in terms of numbers — have decided to form the government in the Centre, Punjab, and Balochistan.