Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced plans for countrywide protests alongside other political parties on March 2, in response to alleged rigging during the recent general elections of 2024.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, also the party’s candidate for the prime ministerial position, revealed this decision after a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail.
During a press conference in Rawalpindi, Ayub expressed deep concern over what he described as “widespread” rigging in the elections.
He stated that PTI would lead protests across the country against the perceived electoral irregularities, along with other political entities.
“Our rightful seats were snatched away with just a stroke of a pen. The people had given their mandate to the former PTI chairman. The nation’s mandate and our seats have been compromised,” Ayub lamented.
He emphasized that the successful PTI-backed candidates possessed the necessary Form-45s, reinforcing the party’s claims of electoral fraud. Ayub mentioned that PTI leaders met with Imran Khan, currently detained at the prison, who remains “confident” in the party’s stance.
Ayub affirmed that PTI would pursue legal avenues in courts and assemblies, characterizing the party’s struggle as one for truth.
The PTI leader also announced the nominations of Amir Dogar and Junaid Khan for the positions of National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker respectively.
In a separate media interaction outside Adiala jail, PTI central leader Sher Afzal Marwat reiterated the call for countrywide protests on Saturday (March 2), as directed by Imran Khan.
Marwat indicated that discussions during the meeting with the former prime minister centered on internal party matters. He further disclosed that PTI’s elected members are scheduled to take their oaths on February 29.
Additionally, Marwat mentioned that Khan would correspond with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in alignment with the party’s policy framework.
Pakistan witnessed its largest-ever election earlier this month, marked by several exceptional aspects. However, the election results did not yield the anticipated outcomes for the political stakeholders, with none securing a simple majority.
Despite PTI, founded by Imran Khan, emerging as the leading party with the highest number of successful candidates in the February 8 polls, the party remains critical of the results.
Maintaining its claim of holding the majority, PTI alleges that the elections were marred by irregularities and intends to stage peaceful protests nationwide against the alleged rigging.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – the second and third largest parties respectively in terms of electoral numbers – have decided to form government coalitions in the Centre, Punjab, and Balochistan.
