Trenches have been dug opposite to the National Press Club in Islamabad ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest against alleged rigging in general elections on Saturday, the party has claimed. “Just a reminder, he who digs a pit for others falls in himself. Soon we will see all the oppressors, puppets falling into that pit. InshAllah,” the party’s Islamabad chapter said in a post on X. The PTI has announced the locations in Punjab for its protest against alleged rigging in the general elections. The site outside the press club is one of the locations where it would be holding a protest against alleged rigging in the Feb 8 polls. The X account also shared a video of the purported trenches. In a post on X on Saturday, the PTI said the protests would be held at F9 Park in the Rawalpindi district, outside the ECP office in Jhelum, outside the press club in Chakwal and at Attock’s Fawara Chowk.

Other locations include the district commissioner’s office in Khushab, Sargodha’s Qainchi Mor, Mianwali’s Rokhri Mor and Zame Wala Tehsil in Bhakkar. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police in a statement said that public gathering was banned in the federal capital as Section 144 of the CrPC was in force in the city. “The security is on high alert,” it said Without mentioning the protests, police said that there could be increased traffic near the F9 park and urged the public to avoid “unnecessary travel” on the nearby routes. Special forces of the Counter Terrorism Department had been deployed on patrol to deal with any emergency. “Patrolling has been increased across the district while checking has been tightened at checkpoints,” it added. On Friday, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said that his party does not accept the February 8 polls and called for countrywide protests.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)