Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Saturday reiterated that his party’s mandate was “stolen” during general elections 2024.
The PTI chairman made the remarks while addressing the party’s power show in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Swabi. The former ruling party is observing a “Balck Day” today against alleged rigging in the general election last year. PTI claimed that their mandate was stolen during elections on the same day last year while the ruling coalition denies the allegations.
A number of PTI leaders and workers have been arrested in Multan, Muzaffarabad and other cities as the Imran Khan-founded party held rallies nationwide on the first anniversary of last year’s controversial elections.
Addressing the Swabi Jalsa, Barrister Gohar reiterated his party’s claim saying: “We had won elections in Punjab. Our mandate was stolen in the darkness of the night [during the polls].”
Stressing the need to address economic challenges being faced by the country, Barrister Gohar said that Pakistan’s economic stability is interlinked with political stability.
Speaking on the occasion, the PTI chairman stressed the need for the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. He said: “There will be political stability if the judiciary is independent.”
Moving on to the stalled talks between the PTI and the ruling coalition, he said that the former ruling party entered the negotiation process in light of the direction of the incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.
“Imran Khan directed to initiate talks for the sake of the country,” he added.
PTI backed out of the dialogue process last month as the government did not accept their key demands about setting up judicial commissions to probe the May 9, 2023 incidents and the Nov 26, 2024 police crackdown against its workers in Islamabad.
For his part, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s firebrand chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, warned that if his party decided to take revenge then the ruling coalition “won’t be able to bear it”. He said that Pakistan would suffer if hatred increased.
Addressing the rally, CM Gandapur said his party wanted the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution in the country.
PTI KP Chapter President Junaid Akbar revealed that the incarcerated PTI founder will soon give another call for protest. He said the PTI workers, through the massive public gathering, conveyed a message that they were not tired of protests.
Talking about the PTI’s next protest, he said: “We will take to streets with preparations to face bullets.”
He, however, clarified that they did not want confrontation with institutions.
