Following the announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference on Friday, workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are protesting in different parts of the country.
A four-member bench declared Imran Khan’s National Assembly seat vacant as it unanimously decided that he had provided incorrect information in the case and disqualified him “for the time being”.
The verdict de-seated the PTI chief as per Article-63 (A) and ordered the initiation of criminal proceedings against him for submitting a false statement. However, the poll organising authority shied away from declaring the deposed premier disqualified for life.
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Read more: ECP disqualifies Imran Khan in Toshakhana reference
Meanwhile, the PTI leadership has announced that it will challenge the decision in court.
“We had no hope of anything good from [them]. The ECP did exactly what we expected of them,” former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said.
He furthered that cases of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari were not being heard in the ECP, adding that the electoral watchdog’s target is Imran Khan.
“Can they disqualify 22 crore people of Pakistan by disqualifying Imran Khan? The decision to disqualify 22 crore people of Pakistan is shameful,” he said.
آج الیکشن کمیشن کے ظالمانہ اور غیر منصفانہ فیصلے کے خلاف ملک کے دیگر حصوں کی طرح باجوڑ میں بھی ایم این اے گل ظفر خان کی قیادت میں عظیم الشان احتجاجی مظاہرہ ہوا ۔ pic.twitter.com/Bw9eQNQX2y
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 21, 2022
The former information minister also urged people to come out for their rights and protest.
Soon after the call, PTI workers took to the streets, blocking the roads in many cities, according to Express News.
The reports regarding the closure of highways and major roads in various cities created a state of fear and uncertainty among the people. The government has alerted the police and other security agencies across the country.
Tense scenes were seen outside the ECP’s provincial office in Karachi as PTI workers staged protests against the verdict under the leadership of PTI’s Ali Zaidi.
صدر پی ٹی آئی سندھ علی زیدی کی زیر قیادت ریلی صوبائی الیکشن کمیشن کے آفس کے باہر پہنچ گئی۔۔ #عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن pic.twitter.com/E1ZNArNM7S
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 21, 2022
Soon after the party’s call for protest, PTI Peshawar decided to block the road and directed the party workers to reach Toll Plaza. According to sources, PTI workers have blocked the road between Faizabad and Zero Point. They also blocked the road leading up to the Lady Reading Hospital.
In Lahore, the PTI workers protest at Kalma Chowk and Chungi Amar Sindhu. The workers also blocked the metro bus and chanted slogans against the ECP.
According to Express News, PTI workers also reached Faizabad in Rawalpindi and blocked the road by burning tyres. To disperse the demonstrators, police used tear gas shelling but the protesters retaliated by throwing stones at the law enforcers. The demonstrators also thrashed a policeman of Islamabad Police.
The PTI workers also protest at Nantalar Road in Rawalpindi which suspended the flow of traffic. Later, the police cleared the road which resumed the traffic.
پاکستان تحریک انصاف کوہاٹ کا الیکشن کمیشن کے متعصب فیصلے کے خلاف احتجاجی مظاہرہ۔ ہائی وے چوک کوہاٹ بند کر دیا گیا۔ ایم پی اے کوہاٹ ضیاء اللہ بنگش کی قیادت میں پی ٹی آئی کارکنان کا ضلع بھر میں احتجاج جاری۔ کارکنوں کی الیکشن کمیشن کے خلاف شدید نعرے بازی۔
#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن pic.twitter.com/qW4iAqY4xl
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 21, 2022
In Rahim Yar Khan, the party workers took to the street and chanted slogans against the government and ECP.
In Gujranwala, PTI staged a protest at Chanda Qila Chowk in which a large number of party workers participated. The city’s administration later called the police to disperse the protesters.
In Ferozpur, people blocked the main road of the city by burning tyres which caused gridlocks in many areas of the city. The protesters chanted slogans against the ECP’s verdict.
In Gujar Khan, the workers blocked the GT Road and protested against the decision. In Chakwal, PTI workers raised slogans in favour of Imran Khan and staged protests at Bhawan Chowk.
A large number of people including women participated in the protest. The traffic got suspended as a result of the protests.
In Quetta, PTI supporters staged a protest demonstration outside Quetta Press Club. They also blocked the main highway linking Quetta with Islamabad in Kuchlak and Muslim Bagh.
Former deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri and other leaders led the protest. The PTI workers chanted slogans against the ECP and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
Noor Khan Khilji, Abdul Bari Bareech, Muhammad Asif Tareen and other leaders were also present on the occasion.
“PTI will resist this decision,” Qasim Suri told the flags-waving supporters. He said the party would intensify its protest against what he called the “imported government” across the country.
The PTI workers took out a protest rally from its office in the Shehbaz Town area of Quetta and they gathered outside the press club.
The party workers also blocked the main highway linking Quetta with Islamabad in Muslim Bagh and Kuchlak against the disqualification of the former premier of the country.
Long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road were witnessed as a result of the protest by the PTI supporters. People suffered difficulties because of the blockade of the road by PTI workers.
The party leaders lashed out at the ECP and the present government for what they claimed their decision was based on hatred and injustice. “This government has ruined all institutions in the country,” Qasim Suri stated.
The administration had taken strict security measures on the eve of the protest demonstration by the PTI supporters to avert any untoward incident. Baton-wielding policemen were deployed outside the press club to maintain order.
Subsequently, the PTI workers peacefully dispersed after recording their protest.
وزیر اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا محمود خان کا الیکشن کمیشن کے فیصلے پر ردعمل۔ الیکشن کمیشن ایک جانبدار ادارہ بن چکا ہے، توشہ خانہ کیس ان کا مینڈیٹ ہی نہیں، انتخابی میدان میں مقابلہ کر نہیں سکتے تو اوچھے ہتھکنڈے استعمال کر رہے ہیں۔
#عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن pic.twitter.com/vWUM10uij1
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 21, 2022
Earlier, the Islamabad police reportedly detained firearms from a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) policeman who was later reported to be the guard of PTI MNA Saleh. As the weapon was being recovered a shot was fired.
The capital police claimed the shot was fired by the K-P policeman and arrested him.
The police later also arrested MNA Saleh. Reports of the police physically assaulting the arrested PTI workers have also surfaced.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2382810/protests-erupt-across-country-after-imrans-disqualification