ISLAMABAD - The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday held countrywide protest rallies to show solidarity with the party chairman Imran Khan against the so-called minus-one formula to oust him from the political arena of the country.
The party had announced to hold protests throughout the country after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decided to indict PTI chief and former prime minister Khan in contempt of court proceedings for giving controversial remarks against a female judge of the lower judiciary of Islamabad.
PTI leaders and workers gathered in Islamabad’s F-9 park to hold protest and show solidarity with the party leader. The PTI leadership had made all arrangements in at least 36 cities to broadcast live address of ex-premier Khan, through big screens, at party’s power show in Gujranwala. The PTI workers and supporters came out in huge number to show solidarity with Khan.
Earlier the day, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar released the list of 36 major protest sites across the country and urged the PTI workers and supporters to take part in the rallies in huge number to give the “imported government a loud and clear message that they would not accept minus-one formula.”
In a statement issued by PTI’s Central Media Department (CMD), Asad said that the PTI workers and people would gather at these 36 places to express solidarity with their leader Imran Khan. According to the detail, the people gathered in Rawalpindi’s Murree Road, and Hashtnagri Chowk in Peshawar.
Similarly, PTI workers and supporters staged protest demonstrations at Swabi Chowk in Swabi, Mardan Press Club in Mardan, Shobra Chowk in Nowshera and Khyber Chowk Bara in Khyber.
Likewise, people gathered at Insaf House Bakshapur in Kandhkot, Khairpur Press Club, Sukkur Insaf House, Hyderabad Press Club, and Press Club at DC Chowk in Ghotki.
In addition, Imran Khan’s supporters held protest demonstrations at Insaf Secretariat in Sheikhupura, and Tehreek-e-Insaf office in Qamber Shahdad Kot.
According to PTI, the people also gathered in front of Gulshan-e- Johar in Karachi, Press Club in Quetta and Liberty Chowk in Lahore.
Besides, protest rallies were taken out from Sanam cinema to Press Club in Okara and from Deepalpur Insaf House to Madina Chowk.
People gathered at Satellite Town in Chiniot, Laiba Chowk in Renala Khurd, Jogi Chowk in Sahiwal, Ghanta Ghar in Faisalabad, Khanewal Milad Mustafa Chowk, Sargodha Khayyam Chowk, Pakpattan Nagina Chowk and in Layyah.
Meanwhile, the protestors gathered in Multan, Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan to show solidarity with PTI chairman.
Separately, PTI secretary information Farrukh Habib, in a statement, said that the people of Pakistan were standing with PTI chairman Khan, and they would give befitting reply to the “imported government for its nefarious and malicious conspiracy of minus-one against PTI chief.”
Farrukh said that the real freedom movement was gaining strength with each passing day, as it was evident from the huge public participation in PTI public gatherings in all parts of the country.
He said that the government was scared of Khan’s popularity; hence they conspired against him to oust him of political arena but the people of the country did not accept the minus-one formula.
He said that the nervousness among the ranks of the rulers and their facilitators were quite obvious because they knew that inflation-ridden and poverty-stricken masses were standing with Khan and PTI.
The PTI secretary information said that Khan neither believed in seizing power through back doors nor by hatching any conspiracy, as his real strength was the support of the people. He added that the government has plunged the country into a worst crises; hence time was ripe to get rid the country of this “imported rulers”.