Imran Khan’s party says protest to continue till his release, demands ‘return of stolen mandate’

A day ahead of the election of the new prime minister of Pakistan, jailed former premier Imran Khan’s party on Saturday said it will continue with its protests ‘in courts, in parliament and on the streets’ until his release and the party’s ‘stolen mandate’ is restored.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held rallies, silent protests and demonstrations across the country on Saturday. In Lahore, the party faced resistance and there was a police crackdown with baton-charge and arrests of some leaders.

The protest rallies were a result of a direct appeal by 71-year-old Khan, lodged in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after conviction in multiple cases. While Khan and other prominent leaders were barred from contesting the February 8 elections and his party symbol, the iconic ‘cricket bat’ was snatched away, independent candidates backed by PTI won more than 90 seats, making them the largest group.

However, in a post-poll alliance, purportedly to keep Khan away from power, his nearest two rival parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have come together to form a government at the Centre.

Khan has already alleged that the 2024 election was the ‘Mother of All Rigging’. Late on Friday night, a post from Khan’s official X handle appealed to his supporters to hit the roads on Saturday.

Loosely translated from Urdu, the post on X said: ‘Pakistanis, you should never accept this illegitimate government.