The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) organised nationwide protests on Saturday, alleging electoral malpractice during the general elections held on February 8. After clashes with law enforcement, several PTI leaders and supporters were taken into police custody. Claiming electoral violations, PTI supporters gathered across the country for protests. The Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF), along with PTI supporters, held a demonstration outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) in Lahore. Despite a strong police presence at GPO Chowk, water cannons were ready to disperse protesters. https://ift.tt/uBIRMq7 At GPO Chowk, law enforcement used batons to disperse agitated PTI supporters, leading to the detention of several leaders and activists, including Mian Shehzad Farooq, Hafiz Zeeshan, and former Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar, Aftab Bajwa. PTI loyalists chanted in support of Imran Khan, the party's founding chairman, while expressing doubts about the election integrity. Protesters demanded justice and the release of Imran Khan and other party members. Also read: PTI decries speaker polls sans reserved seats In different parts of the city, PTI supporters took to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction with alleged electoral irregularities. A protest led by PTI provincial legislator Ali Imtiaz Waraich moved from Cavalry Ground, with similar demonstrations in Shahdara and outside the Lahore Commissioner's Office. https://ift.tt/7XTACjQ Simultaneously, a PTI spokesperson strongly criticised law enforcement and the government for hindering the constitutional right to peaceful protests. The spokesperson stated, "In response to Imran Khan's call, the citizens of Pakistan have taken to the streets to reclaim their allegedly stolen mandate. The administration, fearing an illegitimate mandate, is resorting to unconstitutional measures to suppress peaceful dissent." https://ift.tt/iGe8KOk He emphasised that the public would not accept deceitful actors based on fraudulent electoral forms and asserted that Pakistan's future is tied to democracy. "The citizenry should be given their constitutional right to shape governance," he affirmed. "The PTI remains committed to its nonviolent campaign within legal frameworks to reclaim the allegedly usurped mandate," he concluded.
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