After dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were arrested in Lahore allegedly for violent protests, party leader Latif Khosa on Monday vowed that they would continue to hold demonstrations until their "mandate" is not given to them. Talking to media here, PTI leader Khosa said they had only one demand of conducting an audit of election results. The government could move on, if the mandate was restored, he maintained. He also demanded the release of PTI founder, leaders, especially female leaders, and workers. Claiming that police had assaulted PTI's workers, Khosa stressed that the party would continue its protests to uphold the people's right to self-govern and elect their representatives. "I will register an FIR against them for kidnapping. We'll see how this government can run," he said referring to police’s arrest of PTI workers as abduction. He asked the police to tell on whose order they were carrying out action against the political activists.

The veteran politician apprised that he also went to the police station where he was made to sit for six hours in station house officer's room. However, he admitted, no police official misbehaved with him. He said he told police that he was a sitting MNA, therefore, he could not be arrested without the National Assembly speaker’s permission. He said a case was lodged against PTI’s Salman Akram Raja for blocking the road, which he denied was the case saying they only held a peaceful protest. He asked the authorities to show surveillance camera footage if arteries were blocked. Earlier, about 40 PTI leaders and workers had been booked under serious charges including terrorism, abduction, interference in public affairs and harassment. Sources said the PTI leaders and supporters had staged a protest on Mall Road in Lahore against alleged rigging in the general elections 2024. As per the first investigation report (FIR), at least 38 PTI workers including women are nominated in the case. It claimed that PTI leader Hafiz Farhat Abbas incited the party activists to damage public properties. Henceforth, they damaged a government vehicle too, it added.

Abbas along with four to five other unidentified persons opened fire and manhandled a police constable tearing his uniform, the FIR said adding police detained the PTI leader and recovered a pistol from him. The FIR mentioned that batons and clubs were recovered from 42 suspects arrested by police. A day ago, a number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, including Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, were taken into custody during the police action in different cities as the former ruling party staged countrywide protests against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections. PTI supporters and activists Sunday took to streets almost across the country with rallies being held in Rawalpindi along with protests in Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities, following the Imran Khan-founded party's call for demonstrations against “manipulation of election results and stealing” of the PTI’s mandate in the recent elections.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)