Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], July 27 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) organised a series of processions and rallies throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding the immediate release of party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other detained activists, Dawn reported.
The party denounced the charges against them as baseless and "false".
The protests on Friday, organised at the provincial assembly level, saw local PTI lawmakers and leaders taking prominent roles in addressing the crowds. In Peshawar, demonstrations were conducted across all 13 provincial assembly constituencies, with a notable gathering in the Namak Mandi area led by Provincial Higher Education Minister Meena Khan Afridi.
Minister Afridi condemned the detention of Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and other party leaders, labelling it as illegal. He criticised the federal government for its perceived failure to maintain law and order, attributing the rising lawlessness to this inadequacy.
"The federal government's failure to maintain law and order has led to widespread lawlessness," Afridi asserted. He further voiced concerns over the severe inflation rates, exorbitant electricity bills, and the high cost of petroleum and essential goods. According to him, these issues have rendered life increasingly difficult for the populace.
Afridi also accused the federal government of lacking effective solutions to these pressing issues, suggesting that it does not possess the people's mandate. He contended that the PTI was the rightful winner of the February general elections, but claimed that the PML-N and its allies had unlawfully seized power through manipulated election results.
"[Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif's government has been imposed through Form-47 rather than the people's mandate specified in Form-45," Afridi said. He also called for enhanced security for PTI leader Murad Saeed, who has been in hiding since the violent protests on May 9.
Afridi emphasised that the nationwide protests organised by the PTI were a clear demonstration of public dissatisfaction with the federal government. He insisted that only Imran Khan's party could effectively address the issues of inflation and law and order in the country.
In Peshawar, PTI Peshawar President MNA Sher Ali Arbab led a vehicular procession in the Gulshanabad area. The procession was marked by the display of party flags and pictures of Imran Khan on vehicles, with participants chanting slogans demanding the immediate release of the detained leaders.
Similarly, in the Bajaur tribal district, PTI supporters held rallies to press for the release of Imran Khan, his wife, and other leaders. The protests in Raghagan Bazaar, Sadiqabadabad town of Khar tehsil, and Memola area in Barang tehsil were led by MPA Anwarzeb Khan, former MNA Guldad Khan, and MPA Ajmal Khan's son Imad Khan, respectively, according to Dawn.
The demonstrators, many of whom were carrying party flags, voiced their discontent with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government over the detention of the PTI leaders. They claimed that the leaders were wrongfully implicated in false cases. The speakers criticised the federal government for imposing heavy taxes, which they alleged were enforced under the pressure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for loans.
The government's anti-people policies were also a focal point of criticism, with the speakers accusing it of failing to address the public's plight amid record inflation. They demanded the early release of Imran Khan, his wife, and other leaders and called for adherence to the Constitution and legal frameworks.
In Charsadda district, Provincial Labour Minister Fazal Shakoor Khan, along with MPAs Arshed Umerai and Iftikhar Khan, spearheaded a protest at Farooq Azam Chowk, where PTI activists and supporters turned out in large numbers.
In Topi, Swabi district, PTI central leader and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser addressed a rally, urging the government to immediately free Imran Khan and his wife, alleviate the public from soaring inflation, and improve law and order, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Qaiser also claimed that the PTI's strong opposition to a proposed military operation in parliament had compelled the government to withdraw those plans, Dawn reported.
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