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.
