PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s newly-elected lawmakers plan to stage a protest here on Saturday (today) against the alleged rigging in the Feb 8 elections.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by PTI provincial president and candidate for chief minister’s slot Ali Ameen Gandapur here on Friday.

The participants decided that the protest would be staged at Gulistan Park on the Ring Road.

The participants also discussed the alleged rigging on eight seats of the provincial assembly and one National Assembly in Peshawar.

“It is most likely that Mr Gandpur will also participate in the protest,” a PTI leader told Dawn. “We will try to ensure smooth flow of traffic,” he said, adding if the number of protesters increased then they might block one side of the Ring Road.

Meanwhile, main roads remained closed in Bannu on Friday as PTI supporters continued their protest against the ‘skewed’ results in two provincial assembly constituencies in the district. The protesters gathered on the roads and staged sit-ins there.

The closure of roads leading to DI Khan, Kohat, Miramshah and the arterial Indus Highway caused inconvenience to commuters.

Only ambulances carrying patients were allowed to proceed. After relaxing roads’ blockades for Friday prayers, the protesters again closed the arteries for vehicular traffic.

They danced on party songs, ignoring the fact that their continuous protest was troubling commuters a lot.

On the occasion, local party leaders Malik Zohran, Malik Yasir, Malik Ashwar Durrani, Malik Khalid and others alleged the returning officers changed the poll results in PK-101, Bannu-III, and PK-102, Bannu-IV in connivance with their political opponents. They said that they would not return to their homes until they were provided with their ‘rights’.

The candidates backed by PTI had won elections in both the provincial assembly constituencies, but their victory was turned into defeat, they claimed.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024