Protest at Charring Chowk in Lahore. PHOTO: File
Police baton charged the protestors, demonstrating at Charring Cross and Mall Road in Lahore, and dozens of them were taken into custody.
Among those taken into custody were PTI Punjab chapter president Ejaz Chaudhary, opposition leader Mehmoodur Rasheed, Shabbir Sayal, Mehar Wajid, Mian Hammad Azhar, MPA Dr Nosheen, Andleeb Abbas and dozen of workers.
The protest ended on Saturday evening but PTI leaders said that they will continue their fight for justice.
"PTI chief Imran Khan has already gone to court to have thumb impression audit and recounting in at least four constituencies."
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END OF LIVE UPDATES
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4:36pm
PTI Punjab chapter president Ejaz Chaudhary condemns the mishandling of women by the police.
He says that he felt bad that women workers were dragged on the road by the police officials.
Ejaz Chaudhary while talking to the media. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Chaudhary says the government has to answer on this brutal act in which MPA Dr Nosheen and information secretary Punjab Andleeb Abbas were disgraced and dragged on the road while police was arresting the party workers.
Criticising the misconduct of police officials, he says that the party is not afraid of being arrested and is willing to go behind bars 100 times if it comes to that.
PTI candidate Mehar Wajid won the seat from PP-150 with a margin of 2,000 votes but the returning officer in his discreditable act announced PML-N's Mian Margoob as the winner, which is an evidence of rigging, Chaudhary further adds.
He also announces that party will hold protests across the province to denounce the brutal act in which Lahore police arrested PTI leaders and workers.
From Monday, PTI will carry out protests in all districts and will continue till the announcement of real and factual results in PP-150, Chaudhary says.
PTI lawmakers will also point out corruption of PML-N government in the parliament in the coming days, Chaudhary concludes.
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4:29pm
Opposition leader Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed terms today’s event as tragic.
He says that no example can be found of a similar day in the democratic history of Pakistan, when a party announced a peaceful hunger strike but police tortured its workers and leaders and arrested them.
Mehmoodur Rasheed while talking to the media. PHOTO: EXPRESS
He condemns the action of the police and asks the Punjab government to take action against those officials who mishandled party workers.
He further adds that hunger camp will continue.
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4:04pm
Information Minister Pervez Rasheed says protesters are not allowed to carry out demonstrations at Mall Road.
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3:26pm
PTI leader Mian Aslam says the protest will continue until they don’t get justice and their candidate is declared the winner.
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3:18pm
PTI leaders announce that the party workers and supporters will protest all over Punjab.
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3:16pm
Protests continue outside Lahore Press Club and Punjab Assembly.
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3:15pm
CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif says that the protesters cannot be allowed to affect routine life of the people of Punjab.
Police warns the demonstrators that they will arrest the protestors again if traffic is blocked in the area.
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3:12pm
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3:10pm
PTI leaders and workers have been released following orders from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The protesters block the Mall Road again and announce that the demonstrations will resume at 3pm.
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3:09pm
PTI chairman Imran Khan condemns the incident and demands his supporter's release.
The police says that the protest could not be held in the area on account of Section 144 being imposed.
Media personnel have also been stopped from covering the protest.
COMMENTS (80)
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@Uza Syed:
Hey Uza, thanks for the compliment!! I have absolutely no inhibition in admitting that I have a rather fine Mentor in you :D
@Adnan Siddiqi: Hi Adnan, man you have turned hatred into 'fine arts' and your diatribes, well it's almost poetry now.
@Tanvir: Then its a lack of training or discharge of duties from your end, No matter IK called the role of Returning officers sharamnak. PTIians, we have a culprit right here.
@Khurram:
Thanks for enhancing my knowledge, my kind Sir! One of the virtues of hating IK and PTI is that you get to learn very unique and unusual things about both :D
@Ali:
Your point is well noted. However, I am neither here to play a nice guy nor am I taking part in some congeniality contest.
@ All those saying that army was deployed inside and outside of polling stations this time, so there is no chance of rigging: The rigging is not possible only in polling stations. Please understand the process first. Presiding officer of each polling station counts total votes secured by each candidate and prepares a result which is then deposited in returning officer's office who is a District & Sessions Judge. Thus the results of hundreds of polling stations in a constituency along with ballot papers sealed in a plastic bag reach in RO's office where all the results are compiled. It is in RO's office where results are manipulated on a computer screen. Once results are manipulated in RO's office, the number of rigged votes can easily be added in the plastic bags that contain true votes with the help of RO. Thus only the recount is not enough. When IK's says that thumb impressions should also be verified, it is because that each voter has to put a thumb impression on the back of the ballot he/she is issued as well as on the back of counter-file of that ballot. Once thumb impression are matched with NADRA database, which the election commission so proudly touted its fool-proof anti-rigging technology, everything will be cleared. An important point: If election commission/Supreme-court/election-tribunals are so sure about the freeness and fairness of elections it conducted, why is it reluctant to prove it? I am sure by doing so they can shut PTI out of political sphere for life.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Please mind your language. If you do not have respect for IK then you can keep your mouth shut.
@PTI: no you did not vote for Pti and you are obviously a nooner
@Victory: oye chup kero yaaar. The reason when PTI wins it is not rigging because they are a new party, they don't have experience and workers like PMLN and PPP to rig elections. So every time PTI wins they are backed by voters that genuinely exist unlike PMLN voters who are angels dropped from sky all with same thumbprint.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Not only goldsmith but Imran is very close to the Rothschild .both his x in laws married in Rothschild tribe . The Rothschild of Europe are equivalent to rockerfellar of USA
@Yasir: Where PTI loses they demand rigging and recount .amazing !learn to accept defeat
If all parties boycott and PTI wins then Imran khan and his supporters dont protest and ask their media people to call it Tsunami or Yes we can Khan , IK has to understand he is a fake politician, actual politicians are Nawaz, Zardari , Altaf Hussain, Bilour as they have vote banks not face book supporters.
PTI lost due to arrogance, proud and dirty language used by Imran in his speeches. IK is the most outspoken politician.
Where PTI wins, all is fine. Where PTI loses, rigging and dhandli. What a poor politics done by this party. Immature party led by immature person. IK has never taken right decision in the field of politics. PTI should be thankful to Nawaz Sharif who allowed PTI to form government in KPK. But this gesture can never be expected from Imran and his party. Entire youth voted for PML-N.
@Usman:
Walking the walk and talking the talk has always been IK's bane. Saying that he will stop the ongoing war is one thing can doing exactly that practically is another cup of tea. Mind telling me if the government of KPK has put a complete ban on NATO/ISAF movement through its territory in the form logistics line which originates at Port Qasim Karachi? If in the event the KPK Government does not have the guts to take such an action, can't it even muster enough spine to impose a levy on the bonded carriers who facilitate ISAF's logistics?
Talk is always dirt cheap my friend and the people of Pakistan by and large have thoroughly rejected the "goons" who basically originated as internet trolls and are now acting as mere puppets in the hands of a phony revolutionary and a two bit con artist known as IK
i am shocked to read un-ethical comments written by PTI fans in a very un-ethical language. This is what they learn from their ill-mannered leader IK. He also uses un-ethical and abusive language against others. I treat IK as the most un-educated politician. ALLAH BLESS PAKISTAN.
I voted for PTI but I shall naver do this mistake again. PTI can bring no change. It is a group of opportunists who gathered together before general elections as dictated by general pasha. PTI is going down and down since the retirement of general pasha. Shame for PTI.
PTI can do politics only on facebook and social media. They can never win in Pakistan. Imran is fooling the whole nation by his lies. Truth can never be expected from him.
PTI has graciously accepted all results except this one. The party has accepted the loss of 2 key NA seats as well as close losses in 3 others. Only one seat under question. That too only a recount demanded. given small difference it should be done to end all this.
IK should leave the politics of blame game. He always makes false propaganda in his speechaes and interview. He should have a shame.
Imran Khan is playing the role of enemy of Pakistan. His actions can affect the inflow of foreign investment in Pakistan. Un-educated supporters of PTI should realize it.
A big Shame for PTI supporters who do not have sportsman spirit. This party is led by a person who is Master of U Turn.
No sane person can vote for PTI.
First of all, N-League IS and HAS ALWAYS BEEN masters of cheating and deceit. Based on our lack of ethics and our lack of differentiating right from wrong, people are just saying that lets move on. PML-N will do the rigging again and again and repeat the same process if left unchecked. From the ugly amount of taxes and anti-people laws that PML-N is bringing into action, I already hate these goons.
The sad fact is that establishemnt hates PTI and will go to any length to let PML-N win because Imran Khan said that he would work to stop the ongoing war. Something that will stop the flow of dollars !!!
Rigging also here in Peshawar by IK led provencial government that's y Ghulam Bilour managed to win. The honesty of Pervez Khatak should be probed. LOLX
If PML-N had that much clout on the electoral process and ECP - why drop only a couple of thousand bogus votes?!
Golly, logic and PTI's mindless sheep herd supporters is an oxymoron.
PTI can only ever be satisfied when every political party in Pakistan boycotts an election and PTI wins by default :D
If IK has the guts, he should unveil himself out of the Goldsmith annexe in Banigala and lead these protests in Lahore. Albeit, he shouldn't be howling if he ends up at SKMH and remains bedridden for another couple of months.
Imran Khan should make his voters calm. If Khan's wins election is fair if loses then rigging.What a hypocratic policy. Now, mr Khan has been exposed the way he talks and act.
@Doubtful: Mr Tahir you are not PTI supporter,otherwise you would have called it rigging when PTI lose. PTI supporter does not know the spelling of sportsman spirit.
Army was deployed inside and outside polling stations to satisfy Imran. Even then he is singing the same old song. Please please stop whining and start working. You have many promises to fulfill. Look at the list of your promises, the deadline is looming and still no way near your goal. Have you ever talked about flood in our country. Think like a patriot.
@Doubtful: I wish PTI can deliver so my vote is not wasted. I voted for change and I am waiting for this change. For an average Pakistani, all things OTHER than jobs, education, health, electricity, water, safety & security, terrorism etc are NON-ISSUES. I don't care about anything else.
Shararmnaak Khan has started crying again after being shown the door by the people of Pakistan. When you lose it's rigging, when you win it's public mandate? Stop lieing, nobody was 'tortured'. Couldn't see anybody bleeding nor was anybody thrashed when they should have been for disrupting routine life at one of the busiest roads. Losers! Go cry somewhere else. You have been rightly rejected once again.
mr jibran have pmln done any fraud with u??@Jibran:
Imran Khan is becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of the people. He never talk about the problems routinely faced by the people. There are floods, load shedding, corruption, terrorism, sectarianism, displaced people, Karachi murders, Quetta bombings, Peshawar killings but our great cricketer never open his mouth. His philosophy is only to get more seat in the legislatures.
so the army was there as asked by PTI still the rigging PTI is fast becoming a bad joke
with street protest, PTI is learning fast all the wrong tactics that our failed polticial system has thrown at us.
So PTI = MQM = PML A-Z = PPP = ANP = JUI = Other parties
No difference seen.
Very unfortunate, by nature PML-N is a party of dictators and have no respect for democracy. All this was supposed to happen. Still maore nation is yet to see.
Frauds will ever remain fraud. What can we expect from these Loha Choors. Ali
It is a way of hiding their shameful defeat to start protesting. Well done Lahore police. Good job to clean up the traffic hazards. Now losers like Mahmood rashid and Aleem khan are trying to salvage their buried reputation by shouting fake slogans.
@Nadir: in total agreement.next time call UN army if any to satisfy PTI.
PMLN (Charles Sobhraj group) excels the art of fraud, cheating, and deceit.
@TahirF1: No sir you aint a PTI supporter. You are Nooner or MQMer - apparently different platforms but similar profile vote bank one tries to attract urdu speaking and the other lures Punjabi heads. PTI is a true national party.
Lets look at this positively guys, PTI is only demanding a recount on PP150, its not alleging the PML-N govt on rigging in any other constituency. For a fact, I was following the election trail and Mian Marghoob was losing by 3K votes at 8:30pm and all of a sudden within a span of 2 hrs he was declared winner by 2k votes. Like simple logic defies this kind of turn of tables against a winning canditate. It is fair for EC to do a recount and settle apprehensions on ONE seat only.
@Uza Syed: PTI does not need any excuse to start a movement against the current system otherwise they would have started immediately after May election. I request you all, PTI and non-PTI partisans to leave a non biased comments. If you have any thing to say, substantiate it with proofs and at least with a logic.
it seem PTI is being turned into another Jamat-e-Islami...involved in protest,dharna...people have rejected JI due to negative politics and confined to few places...PTI should learned from its mistake,enforced discipline in its rank..like JI, PTI is also thinking as God chosen party to rule pakistan
I think PMLN government should teach a lesson to these burger goons, punjab is with PMLN and we extend our full support to curb any attemp to destabilize the law and order of the province.
Shame pml N
Terrible..! Pti is breaking law (section 144) All workers should be punished according to law and unlawful demand of imran khan sould not be taken into consideration to release his workers..!
@TahirF1: That's the most ridiculous suggestion in the world, as if rigging is ignored now, it will never be cured in the future, people will forget about it, justice delayed is justice denied.
Its unfortunate, Imran khan and its party are victims of own propaganda. Why can not they see people are dissatisfied with their performance and attitude.
Express Tribune should have courage to report the point of view of PTI.
According to real vote count PTI Candidate won by a lead of 2,500 votes. Where as official results show that PTI Candidate lost to PML-N Candidate by only 67 votes.
@TahirF1: why tahir? there are 24 hours in a day. there are millions of people in a party. just because a newspaper reports a particular incident doesnt mean that the whole party and its supporters are single mindedly and perpetually engaged in that incident.
people say there are more important things to take care of but the fact is that we are in this situation today in this country because of a weak democratic process/set up. so if you do not improve upon democracy then you are setting yourself up for more failure in the future.
I am a huge PTI supporter, but I think PTI should graciously accept the results and move on to do some good in KPK while in government. Enough of the crying about rigging.
Let the democracy flourish in this land of pure.
Shameful violation of the protesters' right to freedom of speech and assembly. Elected dictatorship!
I just do not understand why dont they recount some 40k votes again it takes 5 people to count them in 3 hours....whats the fuss about?
This was a hunger strike camp. Shameful dictatorship by PML-n. Martial law is better than PML-N cruelty.
What else do you expect from PMLn. They have a record of intolerance.
Police has done a good Job by not allowing the media person .Media blow up things as it suits them . Good job Punjab Govt. Hope this will follow in others States too. Request Media Please be Positive .
Some folks just wouldn't learn! A lesson to be taught was always due.
hahahaha. This is great news.
Everyone has proof of everything here, but nothing happens here.
O' no!-----This is something that they should have never done. Can this be beginning of an end? This provides PTI what they needed to start a serious movement against the system, I see this as an opportunity for everyone unhappy and dissatisfied with the present dispensation and it appears the fate of Nawaz Leagues taking an ugly turn.
PML(n) has a long history of rigging the elections.
Here we go Again !!!