PTI vs PMLN: Protests held outside Jemima’s home, Avenfield Flats

LONDON: Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and an Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) staged counter protests on Sunday at the Avenfield Flats on Park Lane and Jemima Goldsmith’s home in Richmond.

This was PTI’s fifth protest outside the flats of former PM Nawaz Sharif’s sons and PMLN’s second protest outside the house of former PM Imran Khan’s ex-wife. The PTI said it was holding a protest against the “imported government” and for early elections, while the PMLN said it had called for the protest in retaliation to PTI’s routine of gathering outside the residence of families of the Sharif family members.

During the Richmond protest, a garden party was arranged by the Goldsmith family for the local residents.Visitors looked bemused and surprised when they were met with loud music and bhangra dance when they arrived to attend the party; three visitors clashed with the protesters asking them to stop playing loud music. Heavy police presence remained on the scene till the end of protest which lasted for around two hours.

The PTI’s protest started from Hyde Park where supporters of Imran Khan gathered and marched towards Avenfield Flats, a five minutes walk. Protesters on both sides raised slogans against each other and condemned each other for bringing militancy and abusive culture to politics.

Both sides vowed to continue protesting against each other until their demands were met. The PTI said it wants removal of the PDM coalition government and the PMLN said it will return to Jemima Goldsmith’s house if PTI continued staging protests outside the Avenfield Flats.

Jemima Goldsmith had previously expressed her annoyance at the protest outside her mother Annabel Goldsmith’s house and said she had nothing to do with Pakistani politics.

PTI and PMLN workers have come face to face several times since the ouster of former PM Imran Khan in a Vote of No Confidence (VoNC) around six weeks ago, after Imran Khan lost majority in the National Assembly. His supporters have eversince taken to the streets to demand fresh elections, alleging he was ousted in a conspiracy led by the United States of America.