SWABI/ ISLAMABAD/ MULTAN/SUKKUR/QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders vowed here on Saturday to continue their struggle to get back the ‘stolen mandate’ and secure the release of party founder Imran Khan but made it clear that the party did not want a confrontation with the state institutions.
Addressing a rally at the Swabi Interchange to mark the first anniversary of the 2024 general election as a ‘black day’, the PTI leaders alleged that the last general election was rigged, a ‘fake’ government was installed and the party mandate was stolen under a well-planned strategy.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Central General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, PTI KP President Junaid Akbar, Sheikh Waqas and other leaders addressed the rally.
A number of PTI leaders and workers were arrested in Multan, Muzaffarabad and other cities where the party held rallies against last year’s controversial elections.
PTI KP Chapter President Junaid Akbar revealed that the incarcerated PTI founder would soon give another call for protest. He said the PTI workers, through the massive public gathering, conveyed a message that they were not tired of protests. About the PTI’s next protest, he said: “We will take to the streets with preparations to face bullets.” He, however, clarified that they did not want a confrontation with the state institutions.
He reaffirmed that the PTI workers must remain prepared for Imran Khan’s next call to action. “The ruling authorities failed to break Dr Yasmin Rashid, Aliya Hamza, Sanam Javed and Tayyaba Raja. How can they expect to break the PTI’s dedicated workers?” he remarked.
For his part, KP’s firebrand chief minister warned that if his party decided to take revenge, then the ruling coalition “won’t be able to bear it”. He said that Pakistan would suffer if hatred increased. He declared that under the leadership of Imran Khan, they would move forward to uphold the rule of law and constitutional supremacy.
He asserted that they were prepared to fight and even lay down their lives against any oppression in this struggle. He reiterated that an ideology could not be killed, suppressed or intimidated. He claimed that Imran Khan had won even from behind bars, while those who stole the people’s mandate were facing defeat despite holding power.
He accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of creating a rift between the military and the public, warning that the growing divide was detrimental to the nation. The CM urged state institutions to stand with the people rather than with ‘mandate thieves’.
He said that Imran Khan had always been ready to fight for Pakistan and that his supporters shared the same commitment. “If you are not willing to engage in dialogue, remember that we also know how to respond,” he said.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, speaking at the rally, stressed the need to resolve political issues through dialogue, highlighting that former prime minister Imran Khan had called for negotiations. He said the PTI had formed committees at various stages to facilitate negotiations, but the government failed to demonstrate wisdom.
Gohar said Imran Khan would soon issue another call for mass mobilisation, urging the PTI workers to participate in large numbers. “Pakistan cannot function without Prisoner No. 804, Imran Khan, and he will soon be among the people again,” he asserted. He also condemned the alleged rigging in the previous elections, claiming that despite the PTI being deprived of its electoral symbol, people voted overwhelmingly for its candidates under alternative symbols. However, he alleged that the mandate was stolen in the dark of night.
Salman Akram Raja, speaking at the gathering, conveyed Imran Khan’s message, asserting that the PTI won the elections on February 8, 2024, and would continue to win in future. He described the PTI as a disciplined party devoid of internal divisions and misconduct. “The entire nation stands with Imran Khan,” he added.
In his address, Asad Qaiser said the Swabi rally demonstrated the people’s unwavering support for Imran Khan and their rejection of what he termed a stolen mandate.
Former federal minister Noorul Haq Qadri declared that the Swabi rally would prove to be the final nail in the government’s coffin, predicting that Imran Khan would soon reclaim the country’s leadership.
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai called for removal of the government which was installed through ‘electoral fraud’. He declared that Pakistan was sinking due to misrule and economic distress.
Achakzai said the Pashtun community was not terrorist, asserting that KP was rich in resources but was being systematically looted. He called for upholding the supremacy of the Constitution and parliament, stating that the people of KP stood firmly with Imran Khan. “The homeland is like our mother. Anyone who casts an evil eye on it will face consequences,” he warned.
Separately, a heavy police contingent thwarted the PTI rallies staged on a ‘black day’ in various cities on Saturday, as the Punjab government imposed Section 144 across the province.
