Responding to Imran Khan’s call, the PTI organized protest demonstrations nationwide on Sunday, alleging manipulation of the February 8 general elections.
However, in Punjab, where a PML-N-led coalition government recently took power, these protests were met with forceful measures, leading to the detention of numerous PTI workers and leaders, including Sardar Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja.
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Khosa, a prominent legal figure within PTI, was apprehended while leading a rally towards Mall Road, while Raja, another senior lawyer, was detained along with Advocate Muhammad Mehr Salim in a separate crackdown. PTI-backed MPA Hafiz Farhat Abbas was also arrested during a protest against alleged election irregularities.
Similar arrests occurred in other cities like Gujranwala and Multan, where PTI leaders Mian Tariq Mehmood, Moin Riaz Qureshi, and Malik Adnan Dogar were detained during protests.
Khosa’s sons later condemned the arrests, expressing concern about their father’s whereabouts.
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The PTI, through its official channels, reiterated its opposition to what it called “corrupt individuals” assuming leadership roles against public wishes. The party criticized the arrests of its leaders, denouncing it as an attempt to suppress dissent.
Responding to the party founder’s call, PTI members mobilized nationwide, staging demonstrations in various cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, and Dipalpur.
In the federal capital, a rally near the National Press Club was held, where PTI leader Sheer Afzal Marwat announced plans for a historic rally in Islamabad on March 23, urging people to support Imran Khan and reclaim what they believed was a stolen mandate.
Addressing Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Marwat accused her of deceiving the people and condemned the arrests of PTI workers and leaders as unacceptable, urging authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest.
PTI’s call for protest demonstrations also saw participation in various areas of Karachi, including Malir, Qayyumabad, Korangi, Sher Shah, Groomandar, Nazimabad, Lyari, and Kiamari.
PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh accused those in the assemblies of stealing the PTI’s mandate and called for Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to be tried for high treason. Sheikh announced plans for a massive public gathering in Karachi after Eid-ul-Fitr to demand Imran Khan’s release, vowing to continue the fight until then.