KARACHI: In line with a call of party founder Imran Khan to protest against alleged rigging in Feb 8 elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf organised protest demonstrations, took out rallies and staged sit-ins outside press clubs across Sindh on Saturday.

Led by senior party leaders and legislators, the protest activities were held in major cities of the province with a major show outside the Karachi Press Club.

The Sindh chapter president of the party, Haleem Adil Sheikh, led the protest in rural towns and small cities of Sindh including Dhabeji, Gharo, Gujjo, Thatta, Jamshoro and Hyderabad.

Earlier in the day Mr Sheikh left the city in a caravan to Sindh cities with a number of party workers and leaders.

A large number of protesters converge outside Karachi Press Club to observe sit-in

He first stopped at Dhabeji where he addressed a protest demonstration attended by a large number of people.

“The nation has rejected all cases against Imran Khan,” he said.

“Even Sindh which is falsely dubbed as Pakistani Peoples’ Party ‘stronghold’ has rejected the politics of corruption and nepotism. We have won from all Sindh districts but the fake mandate was imposed through Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan and the PPP. But the people have spoken out and no one can silence them.”

He drove to Thatta, Jamshoro and Hyderabad and addressed the protest demonstrations and sit-ins along his route.

In Karachi, led by senior leaders, PTI workers joined protest marchers arriving from different parts of the city in rallies and converged outside the Karachi Press Club for a big demonstration.

Carrying PTI flags, chanting slogans and dancing to the tunes of party songs, the participants, including women and children, demanded free and fair inquiry into rigging allegations during Feb 8 elections.

Addressing the party workers at the Karachi Press Club, PTI leader Saifur Rehman said that the participation of Karachiites in huge numbers in the demonstration reflected the fact that they had rejected the results of Feb 8 polls.

“Imran Khan has called on the people across the country to protest against the theft of the mandate in the streets and these protests across the country prove that the people of Pakistan stand with Imran Khan,” he said.

Another party leader Alamgir Khan in his address claimed that the PTI had won 22 seats of National Assembly from Sindh, including 20 alone in Karachi.

“We have won 38 seats of the provincial assembly of Sindh and similarly, we have won 183 National Assembly seats across the country. But the result of all were altered through rigging in Form-47,” he added.

He said that Karachi and Hyderabad’s mandate were snatched from the people and given to the MQM-P.

“Those who have actually won the elections are out from the parliament and those who rigged the elections under fake Form-47 are sitting inside the parliament,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2024