ISLAMABAD: The PTI has again called for countrywide protests, including a possible sit-in outside the Parliament House, to seek the release of its jailed founder Imran Khan.

The party had announced plans for a similar demonstration in the federal capital last Friday but backed out of it at the last minute on Islamabad High Court’s advice.

The announcement about fresh protests was made by PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, Sheikh Waqas Akram and others during a press conference on Sunday.

Mr Qaiser said PTI would hold countrywide public meetings on August 5, and the option of a sit-in at D-Chowk was also under consideration.

If the party goes forward with its planned protest in Islamabad, it might create a challenge for security agencies as Jamaat-i-Islami, which is holding a sit-in against inflated power bills in Rawalpindi, is also planning to move its protest to D-Chowk.

Party leaders announce nationwide protests on Aug 5; claim MNA from Mandi Bahauddin ‘picked up’

For the time being, the party has not given a definitive call for protest at D-Chowk, with Mr Ayub hinting at the possibility of a protest at the site where PTI held a sit-in for 126 days in 2014.

PTI MNA ‘picked up’

The PTI leaders also urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the recent arrests of the party’s members and media team.

Mr Ayub claimed the PTI leaders were being “picked by intelligence agencies”.

“Two days ago, MNA Haji Imtiaz was picked up and kept in Sargodha,” the PTI leader said while referring to the party’s lawmaker from Mandi Bahauddin.

Mr Akram claimed that the authorities weren’t allowing anyone to meet Mr Imtiaz, and he was even denied home-cooked food.

While addressing security officials, the PTI leader said they were the employees of the state and warned them that the government “will collapse soon” but they will have to live in the country.

Mr Ayub claimed PTI leaders were being picked up because they had submitted affidavits — of allegiance to the party — to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The MNAs who were a part of PTI but contested and won the February 8 general elections as independent candidates have been asked by the Supreme Court to file duly signed and notarised statements before the ECP within 15 days, explaining they had contested the election as candidates of a particular political party — in this case the PTI.

Mr Ayub also said that cases have been filed against the mother of PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram.

Mr Qaiser labelled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif as “fascist” and said that if the government wanted anarchy in the country, the PTI was ready for it.He also commented on the events of May 9, claiming that the whole world now knows that the incidents of violence were “a drama and conspiracy against PTI”.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024