Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is set to stage countrywide demonstrations on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the allegedly “stolen” February 8, 2024, general elections. The protests will coincide with a national day of mourning following Friday’s suicide attack at an imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser told that the party had not postponed or canceled its planned protests. “The day will be observed both as a National Day of Mourning and as a platform to protest the rigging of the general elections,” he said.
He emphasised that February 8 is not just about PTI founder Imran Khan or party leadership. “It is a day on which the nation was deprived of democracy and the fundamental right to choose its representatives,” Qaiser said. He added that PTI, together with the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), would continue to push for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law. He also noted that 10 committees had been formed at the international, national, and provincial levels to mobilize support for the protests.
Describing February 8 as a “day of humiliation” for the country, Qaiser said citizens were deprived of their democratic rights and rendered powerless.
Protests Combined With Mourning
PTI Islamabad President Amir Mughal said the party would combine the protests with mourning activities. He alleged that law enforcement agencies had focused more on arresting PTI workers than on maintaining security in the federal capital, which he claimed contributed to Friday’s bombing that killed at least 36 people and injured many others. “Had police focused on city security, the attacker may not have been able to enter,” he asserted.
Silent Agitation in Punjab
In Punjab, PTI has called for a “silent agitation,” urging citizens to remain home and voluntarily shut down markets and transport services as part of a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike. This, the party says, is to express discontent against what it calls the “Form-47 government that stole the people’s mandate.”
Party workers have been distributing pamphlets and engaging with traders, students, and transport unions to gain support for the strike. Punjab’s PTI chapter has prepared two pamphlets — Imran Khan Qaid Nahin (Imran Khan is not imprisoned) and Pakistan Ki Faryad — Abhi Ya Phir Kabhi Nahin (Pakistan’s Cry — Now or Never). MNAs, MPAs, ticket-holders, and office-bearers have been instructed to distribute these pamphlets door to door and in markets across the province.
PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik urged citizens to avoid outdoor activity and stay home as a form of protest. She also called for torch-bearing rallies at the union council level after Maghrib prayers. “The all-day protest and torch rallies are vital for our leader Imran Khan’s release from jail,” she said.
PTI Rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI has planned district- and tehsil-level rallies and processions. Some traders and transport unions have also pledged support. PTI provincial information secretary Adeel Iqbal said elected MNAs and MPAs would lead demonstrations in their respective constituencies.
PTI district president Irfan Saleem said workers in Peshawar would gather in Hashtnagri around noon before marching through the city, with a rally at Chowk Yadgar addressed by party leaders.
Meanwhile, in Okara, police arrested 30 PTI workers ahead of Sunday’s protests. PTI’s Mehr Abdul Sattar was detained for seven days under the MPO Ordinance. Police also raided the residence of PTI-backed MNA Usama Hamza in Gojra, but he was not present.