LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Punjab, chief organiser Aliya Hamza has instructed the party leaders to hold protest demonstrations on Saturday (today) to observe the black day against rigging in the general election last year.

She tweeted that she had been nominated in seven new cases, fearing that she might be arrested. She stated that she had also contested the Feb 8 election from jail and defeated Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shahbaz as per Form-45.

After the Punjab government denied permission to hold a public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on Feb 8, Ms Hamza instructed the MPAs, MNAs and ticket-holders to contact the leaders of the party’s wings as well as the masses and hold peaceful protests on Saturday (today). She asked the party leaders to use the protest as an opportunity to educate the masses on the significance of Feb 8 and the resilience of PTI in the face of adversity by running a door-to-door campaign.

The chief organiser instructed the organisers to ensure protests remain peaceful, disciplined and reflective of the PTI’s principles of justice and accountability.

Govt imposes Section 144

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar tweeted that the incumbent rulers had stolen the people’s mandate on Feb 8 and it was now being reported in newspapers while referring to the Pattan report on 2024 general elections.

He said the powers that be employed different tactics to steal the election and the PTI opponents, who were losing, were declared winners. He said the general election results had insulted the Constitution but the truth would prevail eventually.

In another tweet, Mr Bhachar stated the PTI had boycotted the three-day Commonwealth leaders’ three-day conference as a protest against police raids, torture, ransacking as well as other illegal tactics employed against the party legislators. He said the human rights violations had compelled the PTI to boycott the conference.

“The TikToker government should refrain from issuing unconstitutional orders,” he warned.

Section 144: In the wake of the black day protests planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 across the province, banning all political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, protests and other such activities on Feb 8 (today).

A Punjab government’s notification imposing Section 144 says it has been reported that a political party has announced protests/demonstrations across Punjab on Feb 8 and there is an apprehension that miscreants/mischief-mongers can take advantage of the said protest to carry out subversive/anti-state activities to fulfill their nefarious designs.

The notification also states that the Provincial Intelligence Committee, in its Feb 3 meeting, in the backdrop of present wave of incidents of terrorism, had recommended imposition of restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC on all kinds of political assemblies, sit-ins, rallies and demonstrations to ensure security of the people and installations/buildings.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2025