SWABI/LAHORE/MULTAN: Amid strict enforcement of Section 144 and stalled negotiations with the government over unresolved grievances, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held nationwide protests on Saturday, observing a ‘Black Day’ to mark the first anniversary of what it claims was widespread electoral rigging that deprived the party of its mandate.
The demonstrations took place despite heavy police presence, numerous arrests, and Section 144 restrictions prohibiting public gatherings. Several PTI leaders and workers, including Meher Bano, daughter of senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were detained.
Law enforcement agencies cracked down on PTI workers attempting to rally in defiance of the restrictions imposed by the PML-N-led Punjab government. However, despite roadblocks and limited access to cities, PTI managed to organize small but determined protests across the province, led by lawmakers, ticket-holders, and activists.
In Lahore, PTI Central Punjab leader Hammad Azhar, along with Mehar Sharafat and Engineer Muzamil Salahuddin, spearheaded the demonstrations. Similar protests were reported in cities such as Okara, Dipalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur, Haroonabad, Jafarabad, Shakargarh, Chichawatni, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Azad Kashmir, Muzaffargarh, Gujrat, Kot Addu, Sheikhupura, and Rajanpur. PTI parliamentarians and workers participated in these rallies, facing significant police resistance.
In Multan, heavy police contingents were deployed at key locations, including Chungi No 9, Ghunghat Chowk, Nawan Shahr Chowk, and Chowk Kacheri, where PTI supporters gathered. Meher Bano and Zahid Bahar Hashmi led one of the protests before being detained, along with several other activists. Police quickly dispersed the crowds, transporting detainees to police stations in vans.
Despite the crackdown, PTI reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful protests. The party announced plans to avoid confrontation on February 8 and instead hold a major rally in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urging nationwide participation.
Marking the first anniversary of the general elections, PTI stated it would refrain from inciting unrest and focus on peaceful demonstrations. The party had initially sought permission to hold a large rally at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, but Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza denied the request, citing security concerns due to multiple concurrent events, including an international speaker conference, a cricket match, and a horse and cattle show.
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja reiterated the party’s stance, emphasizing that protests would be limited to tehsil and union council levels, with the main event in Swabi. He assured that the party had no intention of causing disorder.
Swabi Rally
At a massive rally in Swabi, PTI leaders and regional figures delivered impassioned speeches, condemning alleged electoral fraud, institutional neglect, and unconstitutional governance. They vowed to reclaim the stolen mandate and fight for the people’s rights, warning that the nation would no longer tolerate injustice.
Junaid Akbar, PTI’s newly appointed provincial president, asserted that institutions must operate within their constitutional limits. “Today’s rally is a message for those who say PTI is tired. Institutions become strong only when the people stand with them; we respect institutions,” he said. However, he lamented the growing divide between institutions and the public.
Later in the evening, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur addressed the gathering at Swabi Interchange, declaring that under Imran Khan’s leadership, the struggle for the supremacy of law and constitutional governance would continue. “We demand our rights for the mandate that was taken away from us,” he asserted, urging institutions to serve the people rather than “mandate-stealing rulers.”
Gandapur criticized the federal government for creating conflicts between institutions and called for unity in the fight against terrorism. He warned that PTI’s peaceful approach could change if provoked, chanting, “Khoon ka badla khoon” (blood for blood).
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar emphasized the need for a political solution to the country’s problems, recalling Imran Khan’s call for negotiations, which he said was met with government stubbornness. “Imran Khan will call again,” he declared, urging maximum mobilization among workers. Gohar warned that without Imran, the party could not function and vowed that the “dark chapter” of the stolen mandate would never be forgotten.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, president of the opposition alliance, called for national unity, warning that true solidarity could topple the federal government within three months. He derided the current regime as being formed by “looters and thieves.”
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram alleged that the election mandate was stolen to push through the 26th Amendment, enabling the government to manipulate judicial appointments and decisions. Quoting Imran Khan, he vowed to continue the fight for justice and accountability.
The rally underscored PTI’s determination to reclaim its mandate and challenge what it views as an illegitimate government, while maintaining a commitment to peaceful resistance.
