PESHAWAR: The workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) continued protest for the third consecutive day on Sunday in the provincial capital against alleged rigging of general elections.

A large number of PTI workers from Peshawar blocked Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway to all kinds of vehicular traffic from noon till night. They have been protesting against what they call rigging of polls in eight provincial assembly constituencies and one National Assembly constituency.

Protesters blocked Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway by staging a sit-in near the toll plaza. The sit-in continued till filing of this report. They chanted slogans in favour of their leader and former prime minister Imran Khan and against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif as well as polling staff.

The PTI activists had staged sit-in during the last two days outside the office of returning officer on Charsadda Road in Peshawar.

Ali Amin Gandapur warns returning officers of ‘repercussions’

“There is huge difference in the number of votes mentioned in Form-45 handed over to the polling agents of PTI and consolidated results mentioned in Form-47,” a leader of the party told Dawn.

He alleged that returning officers changed results against PTI candidates in eight provincial assembly constituencies and one National Assembly constituency including PK-72, PK-73, PK-74, PK-75, PK-78, PK-79, PK-80, PK-82 and NA-20.

The protesters were addressed by PTI district president Sher Ali Arbab, PK-73 candidate Advocate Ali Zaman and PK-75 candidate Advocate Malak Shahab. They raised questions as to why there was big difference in the number of votes mentioned in Form-45 and Form-47. They demanded of ECP to release the correct results otherwise they would continue protest.

Sher Ali Arbab urged protestors to remain peaceful and avoid causing any damage to public and private properties. “Our protest is not to create anarchy rather it is for getting our judicious rights,” he said.

Due to blockage of motorway, commuters and motorists suffered a lot as they used alternate routes including Grand Trunk Road to reach their destinations.

Afaq Khan, a passenger, said that he had to go to Islamabad in a public transport vehicle plying on motorway but due to closure of motorway no vehicles were available in a bus stand of a private company as most of those were stuck in the blockade and couldn’t reach Peshawar.

He said when he reached the bus stand it was full of passengers as no bus was available to take them to their destination. He said that passengers waited for several hours for buses.

PTI provincial president Ali Amin Gandapur alleged that all the government officers, who performed duty as returning officers, were involved in rigging of the elections and turned the results against the PTI candidates in the province.

He alleged that the retuning officers changed poll results by receiving bribe or under pressure, according to a statement issued here.

“PTI is receiving credible evidence of rigging the elections by the returning officers,” he said. He alleged that they were also getting reports that returning officers opened sealed bags of ballot papers and changed the results.

Mr Gandapur said that depriving people of their mandate was not corruption or dishonesty rather it was an act of high treason. “This crime committed by the returning officers is unforgivable and they will have to face the repercussions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2024