PESHAWAR/swabi: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf activists staged demonstrations on Saturday against the Islamabad administration’s refusal to allow the party to hold a public meeting in the federal capital on Saturday.

A party official told Dawn that a large number of party workers gathered at the residence of Irfan Saleem, PTI additional general secretary, to leave for Islamabad. However, he said when the PTI central leadership’s decision to call off the protest came about, party’s MPAs and other leaders led demonstrations in their respective areas.

Mohammad Asim Khan, PTI Peshawar general secretary, led a rally from his hujra in Bahadur Kallay area to Hayatabad toll plaza. They later dispersed peacefully. Party leaders, including Irfan Saleem, Sher Ali Arbab, Ali Zaman and Meena Khan led rallies in their constituencies.

In Swabi, PTI leaders vowed to continue struggle still the release of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan from jail.

After the postponement of Islamabad power show on Saturday, the PTI leaders and workers gathered at the Swabi Interchange of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and held a meeting there. The participants chanted slogans against the federal government.

They claimed the undemocratic tactics adopted by incumbent rulers would no longer work.

MNAs Asad Qaiser, Shahram Khan Tarakai, provincial minister for irrigation Aqibullah Khan, minister for education Faisal Khan Tarakai, Abdul Karim Khan, adviser to chief minister on industry, and MPAs Rangaiz Khan and Mortaza Tarakai also attended the gathering.

They condemned the refusal of the government to allow PTI to hold public meeting in Islamabad, and termed it a flagrant violation of democratic right of people.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2024