Pakistan: Imran Khan’s supporters arrested for protesting against poll rigging

The service of X (formerly Twitter) remained disrupted over the weekend in the country.

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), carry posters and placards as they chant slogans against what they call, 'blatant rigging in national election', during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters)

The police in Punjab province of Pakistan on Sunday arrested over 100 supporters of Imran Khan’s party for staging rallies against alleged rigging of votes during elections. The arrests were made in different parts of the province.

The protests were called by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party across the country on Saturday, alleging “massive rigging” in the February 8 general elections.

Most of the arrests took place in Lahore, where the newly-elected Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, ordered a crackdown on the protesting PTI supporters.

According to a PTI spokesperson, “Police thrashed and arrested 80 workers and leaders in Lahore. Over 20 have been arrested in Gujrat city. Protests were held in 38 cities of Punjab and the federal capital Islamabad.”

In Lahore, police baton-charged protesters at GPO Chowk and Liberty Chowk. The spokesperson said, “PTI leaders Mian Shahzad Farooq and Afzaal Azeem Pahat, who contested the election last month against Maryam Nawaz and her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, respectively, were also arrested. Farooq had defeated Maryam but the Election Commission of Pakistan had changed the result.”

PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Hammad Azhar said: “Controversial and fake CM Maryam Nawaz has committed fascism by using the State’s machinery against peaceful protesters.” PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan denounced the “fascist, coercive tactics and the unlawful use of State machinery” to disrupt the peaceful protests across the country against the theft of the public mandate. He stated, “The nation won’t rest until it reclaims the stolen mandate from the thieves. A mandate thief’s government is unacceptable.” “We will not accept the fake government formed based on Form 47 fraudulently prepared by the ECP,” he said.

The service of X (formerly Twitter) remained disrupted over the weekend in the country.

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Earlier on March 2, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held rallies, silent protests, and demonstrations across the country on Saturday, a day ahead of the election of the new prime minister of Pakistan. The party said it will continue with its protests “in courts, in parliament, and on the streets” until Imran Khan’s release and the party’s “stolen mandate” is restored. The party faced resistance in Lahore, and there was a police crackdown with baton charges and arrests of some leaders.