Imran Khan Party Workers Protest, Clash With Cops Over Pak Poll Results: Report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers held protests in different cities of Pakistan against alleged rigging in the results of general elections held on February 8, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

PTI workers held a protest outside the district election commissioner's office in Rawalpindi's Sadiqabad. The police personnel deployed in Rawalpindi reportedly used tear gas and charged batons to disperse the protesters.

Police arrested PTI supporters staging protests in Rawalpindi over the results of the elections conducted on February 8 after the latter closed routes leading up to the entrance of the district election commission's office, The Express Tribune reported.

A number of police officers were deployed in the area. The closure of the district office also affected the road leading to the press club. After the closure of the ECP office, the PTI supporters gathered near Murree Road, according to The Express Tribune report.

The protesters offered support to PTI's founder, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala jail. All police stations have been asked to take action against protests taking place within their respective jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, some PTI workers staged a protest outside the Sukkur Press Club. PTI's independent candidates from NA-200 and PS-24, Gohar Khoso and Safia Baloch, led the protest, Geo News reported.

Furthermore, PTI workers held protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) Sindh office, with heavy police forces deployed in the area. PTI has shared visuals of protests being held in various parts of Pakistan.

PTI shared a video that showed a large number of PTI supporters staging protests over the results of the elections.

In a post on X, PTI leader Seemabia Tahir stated, "On the call of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers held a peaceful protest in Rawalpindi under the leadership of North Punjab President Seembia Tahir, in which Shehryar Riaz, Chaudhry Nazir, Ziad Khaliq Kayani and Chaudhry Afzal participated. Also participated and recorded a strong protest against rigging."

تا حیات چیرمین تحریک انصاف عمران خان کی کال پر الیکشن میں دھاندلی کے خلاف سیمابیہ طاہر صدر شمالی پنجاب کی زیر قیادت راولپنڈی میں تحریک انصاف کے کارکنوں نے پر امن احتجاجی مظاہرہ کیا جس میں شہریار ریاض،چوہدری نظیر،زیاد خلیق کیانی اور چوہدری افضل نے بھی شرکت کی اور دھاندلی کے خلاف… pic.twitter.com/Hrc0fASaYW

— Seemabia Tahir (@seemabiatahir) February 11, 2024

In a post on X, PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen said PTI has a legal right to go to the RO office. In a post on X, PTI stated, "We have a legal right to go to the RO office, but the policemen, to whom we pay dearly, are preventing us from entering by blocking the road. - Shoaib Shaheen."

PTI supporters held a peaceful protest outside the RO office in Faisalabad. While sharing the visuals on X, PTI stated, "Faisalabad: Peaceful protest of NA98 Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Hafiz Mumtaz outside the RO office: We won the election from here with a lead of about 30,000 according to Form 45."

فیصل آباد : این اے 98 تحریک انصاف کے امیدوار حافظ ممتاز کی قیادت میں کارکنان کا آر او آفس کے باہر پرامن احتجاج: فارم 45 کے مطابق تقریبا 30 ہزار کی لیڈ سے ہم یہاں سے الیکشن جیتے ییں۔

#مینڈیٹ_پر_ڈاکا_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/fQZYlYEWbe

— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 11, 2024

PTI under the leadership of the regional president, held protest outside the RO office in Mansehra over the rigging of polls. In a post on X, PTI stated, "Mansehra: Under the leadership of regional president PTE Hazara Babar Saleem Swati, the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, on the call of Imran Khan, continued a peaceful protest against rigging outside the RO office."

مانسہرہ : ریجنل صدر پی ٹی ئی ہزارہ بابر سلیم سواتی کی قیادت میں عمران خان کی کال پر پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے کارکنان ار او آفس کے باہر دھاندلی کے خلاف پرامن احتجاج جاری۔#مینڈیٹ_پر_ڈاکا_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/2tehzG9cXf

— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 11, 2024

PTI's protest in various parts of Pakistan came after PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for peaceful protests across the nation against Returning Officers (ROs) on Sunday, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

He said that the people of Pakistan had complete trust in former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision of "slavery unacceptable" in the aftermath of the February 8 polls.He noted that despite the challenges faced on February 8, the people have showcased a clear and transparent mandate in favour of the PTI.

He accused the ROs of "attempting to usurp their mandate once again." He condemned these "unacceptable attempts to undermine democracy through tampering with election results."

Gohar Ali Khan warned that any such action would be detrimental to Pakistan and unacceptable to the people, "who will not tolerate any violation of their voting rights." He highlighted the importance of making use of "constitutional, democratic, and political rights for the fundamental purpose of protecting the people's mandate," The Express Tribune reported.

The PTI chairman asserted that gaining a clear majority in the Centre, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the "constitutional and democratic right of the PTI." He stated that "preserving complete respect for the people's mandate is in the best interest of Pakistan and should be maintained under all circumstances."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)