PESHAWAR/SWABI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Thursday said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would mark February 8 as a ‘black day’ on the first anniversary of last year’s ‘rigged’ general elections.

In a video message, Mr Gandapur also urged overseas Pakistanis to record their protest against electoral rigging in their respective countries.

“On Feb 8 last year, the votes polled by people for PTI chief Imran Khan were stolen,” the chief minister said, adding a similar incident in 1971 led to the country’s disintegration.

He said some institutions and the government that came into being through rigged polls caused great damage to national interests.

He also asks expats to record protest in their countries

“I request you all to play your role in upholding the Constitution and democracy in Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Gandapur asked people from the province to attend the PTI gathering in Swabi on February 8 to highlight their struggle for rights.

Meanwhile, PTI central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram alleged that the worst crackdown in the country’s history was taking place against his party in three provinces ahead of the Feb 8 protests.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr Akram said that the opposition leaders, in a recent meeting, likened the government’s actions in Balochistan to the 1971 events.

He said that police recently raided his party’s provincial headquarters in Quetta and arrested two office-bearers and two lawyers.

The PTI leader said that at the time of the raid, a meeting regarding the Feb 8 protest was in progress.

He said that the lawyers were later released but the two other detainees, including PTI Quetta president Zain Khilji, were kept in custody under the 3-MPO for a month.

He said that the party leaders and workers were subjected to coercion and oppression.

Mr Akram said that the federal government was responsible for the situation.

He claimed that the police’s security branch had made lists of PTI leaders, assembly members and workers for arrests.

The PTI leader said that the police personnel were raiding the houses of party leaders and workers across Punjab.

“The CCTV footage of such raids was shared on social media,” he said.

Mr Akram said that a large number of workers from the northern region would join the PTI protest in Swabi on Feb 8.

He said that during a street protest on November 26 last year, more than 5,700 PTI workers were detained, with 1,000 of them still behind bars.

The PTI leader said that around 350 party workers had been booked by the police in Hazro, Attock and Hassanabdal areas of Punjab after courts in Islamabad granted them bail.

He also said that people going to meet those workers were also being booked in fake cases.

Mr Akram said the Punjab government was stoking hatred through such acts and thus, working against national harmony.

He said that the chief election commissioner’s tenure had completed and PTI leaders Shibli Faraz and Umer Ayub had highlighted the issue through letters.

He said that his party has also approached the Supreme Judicial Council against the chief election commissioner for his role in denying a level playing to the party in last year’s general elections.

“The CEC played a very negative role against the PTI in elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in Swabi said on Thursday that the public meeting, scheduled to be held on Saturday, would be a vote of no-confidence against the federal government.

They held meetings with party workers on Thursday to make the public meeting a success. A meeting was held at deputy commissioner’s office regarding arrangements and traffic plan for Feb 8 gathering of PTI.

MNA Shahram Khan Tarakai, provincial ministers Faisal Khan Tarakai and Aqibullah Khan, adviser to chief minister Abdul Karim, Swabi tehsil chairman Attaullah Khan,

MPA Murtaza Khan Tarakai, PTI district president Sohail Yousafzai, general secretary Ali Khan, Mohammad Azhar Khan, DPO, traffic police officials and others attended the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Khan gave a detailed briefing to participants on arrangements and traffic plan to avoid gridlock on the day of public meeting.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) leaders alleged that PTI was using public resources for its meeting and relevant agencies should take its notice.

Asifur Rehman, ANP district president, said that like its previous public meetings, PTI was using state machinery for political purpose which was against democratic rules.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2025