PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Friday organised processions and rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling on the federal government to immediately release party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife, and other detained activists, declaring cases against them “false.”

The protests, held at the provincial assembly level, featured addresses by local PTI lawmakers and leaders.

In Peshawar, protests were staged across all 13 provincial assembly constituencies, with a significant gathering led by provincial higher education minister Meena Khan Afridi in Namak Mandi area.

The minister denounced the imprisonment of Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi, PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and other leaders as illegal.

Speakers also urge govt to control inflation, maintain law and order

“The federal government’s failure to maintain law and order has led to widespread lawlessness,” he insisted.

Mr Afridi complained about record inflation, unaffordable electricity bills and high prices of petroleum and essential products, which, he said, have made life miserable for people.

He said the federal government lacked solutions to those issues as it didn’t have the people’s mandate.

The minister said the people voted for the PTI in the Feb general elections but the PML-N and allies illegally grabbed the power by manipulating election results.

“[Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif’s government has been imposed through Form-47 rather than the people’s mandate specified in Form-45,” he said.

Mr Afridi also demanded security for PTI leader Murad Saeed, who went into hiding after the May 9 violent protests.

He asserted that the PTI’s nationwide protests showed people’s distrust in the federal government and emphasised that only Imran’s party could control inflation and maintain law and order in the country.

PTI Peshawar president MNA Sher Ali Arbab led a vehicular procession in the Gulshanabad area.

Displaying party flags and Imran’s pictures on vehicles, the participants shouted slogans for the immediate release of party leaders.

In Bajaur tribal district, too, the PTI took out rallies, demanding the release of Imran, his wife, and other leaders.

The protests in Raghagan Bazaar, Sadiqabadabad town of Khar tehsil and Memola area in Barang tehsil were led by MPA Anwarzeb Khan, former MNA Guldad Khan and MPA Ajmal Khan’s son Imad Khan, respectively.

Scores of workers showed up holding party flags. They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the detention of Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi and insisted that their leaders were named and convicted in “false” cases.

The speakers criticised the federal government for imposing heavy taxes, which, they insisted, were imposed at the behest of the International Monetary Fund to obtain loans.

They said the government, which was pursuing anti-people policies, had failed to deliver the goods on all fronts.

“The illegal federal government is not bothered about people’s difficulties due to record inflation,” a speaker said.

The PTI leaders demanded the early release of Imran, his wife and other leaders and the implementation of the Constitution and laws.

In Charsadda district, provincial labour minister Fazal Shakoor Khan and MPAs Arshed Umerai and Iftikhar Khan led the protest at the Farooq Azam Chowk, where PTI activists and supporters showed up in large numbers.

In Topi area of Swabi district, PTI central leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser addressed a rally and urged the government to immediately free Imran and his wife, provide people with relief from soaring inflation, and improve the law and order situation, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He insisted that the PTI’s strong opposition to the proposed military operation in parliament forced to the government into withdrawing those plans.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024