Khosa, Salman Raja, others held as PTI protests ‘rigged’ polls

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists held protest rallies and demonstrations in various parts of the country on Sunday against the alleged ‘massive rigging’ in the February 8 general election.

A number of PTI leaders, including Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, were taken into custody during the police action in different cities. Latif Khosa was arrested from the Sadar Roundabout and Salman Akram Raja from Ichhra in Lahore.

PTI supporters and activists took to the streets almost across the country with rallies being held in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities, following the Imran Khan-founded party’s call for demonstrations against “manipulation of election results and stealing” of the PTI mandate in the recent elections.

Police detained more than 40 PTI workers across Lahore, including 30 from GPO Chowk. The authorities had deployed a large contingent of police on The Mall and other areas. During the protests, PTI-backed Punjab Assembly lawmakers, Hafiz Farhat Abbas and Mian Haroon Akbar, were also arrested by the police. PTI ticketholders and senior politician Javed Hashmi’s son-in-law and grandson Zahid Hashmi and Qasim Hashmi were arrested in Multan.

In Toba Tek Singh, the city police arrested PTI Toba City President Sheikh Hassan Raza. He had led a rally against the alleged rigging in Feb-8 election.

In Karachi, police and Sindh Rangers personnel were deployed in front of the Korangi deputy commissioner’s office in anticipation of a protest by the PTI workers.

In Rawalpindi, PTI workers and paramilitary forces came face to face after a demonstration rally, led by Seemabia Tahir, was prevented from entering the city via the Khanna Pul route. The police also apprehended some party workers, who were later got freed by Seemabia Tahir.

In Tank, the PTI workers carried out a rally from Sabir Bazaar to Town Hall ground.

Furthermore, protests and demonstrations were also held in Faisalabad, Vehari, Khushab, Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala and other cities.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders strongly condemned the arrest of ‘peaceful protesters’. In a statement, the party leadership slammed the government over the arrest of leaders like Salman Akram Raja, Sardar Latif Khosa, Khurram Khosa, Hafiz Farhat Abbas and demanded their immediate release.

The statement said the fake mandate government, which stole the people’s vote, was bent on curtailing the fundamental rights of people to save its unconstitutional, illegal and immoral government.

“Peaceful protest is the fundamental right of every citizen under Article 16 of the Constitution, which the fake government is completely unaware of,” added the statement.

“People have given their decision that they will not allow production of fake Form 47 to remain imposed on them for a long time. Those who take fake oaths on fake mandate should show some honour and transfer power to the real elected representatives,” the PTI spokesman said. He demanded that all arrested activists of PTI should be released immediately.