PTI workers stage nationwide protest outside ECP offices

PML-N govt officials say Imran 'blackmailing' election commission

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers staged a sit-in outside provincial offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday after PTI chief Imran Khan called for a protest earlier this week.

The Red Zone in the federal capital was sealed due to the protest. However, PTI workers, led by the former member of provincial assembly Ali Nawaz Awan, protested at the Nadra Chowk.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed outside the ECP in Islamabad after the protest was announced, and Section 144 – prohibiting the gathering of four or more people in an area – was enforced in the Red Zone by the deputy commissioner of Islamabad. Political parties and citizens were urged not to protest in the Red Zone.

Similarly, the party also staged a protest outside the Election Commission Sindh offices in Karachi where Sindh Assembly members and workers chanted anti-ECP slogans.

In Peshawar, PTI workers were protesting in front of the provincial office of the electoral watchdog and raised pictures of the ECP chief, while chanting slogans against him.

Party workers claimed that the current chief election commissioner (CEC) is biased and should be removed immediately.

The announcement about holding protests outside the ECP offices was made by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Twitter.

Read: PM Shehbaz blames ousted PTI govt for current power crisis

In his tweet, the former information minister accused the CEC of being “partisan and dishonest”, adding the ECP was not de-notifying membership of the party’s dissident legislators.

“Therefore, PTI will hold protests throughout the country in front of the ECP offices on April 26 against the behaviour of the CEC. Directions are being issued to all district organisations of the PTI in this regard,” he said in his tweet.

Tensions between the PTI and the commission turned even bitter when on April 23, Imran also accused the CEC of being biased and demanded his resignation.

Govt responds to nationwide protests

Minister for Information Mariyum Aurangzeb said that Imran wanted a judge, lawyer and decision to all be in his favour.

Reacting to her predecessor's statement, she stated that Imran should instead answer questions about his party's foreign funding case in the ECP, but all those questions are responded to with “abuses and threats”.

“Imran wants everyone to pledge allegiance to him and not take any accountability for his corruption,” she maintained.

Read More: Why didn't PTI move IHC over ECP delimitation schedule, asks SC judge

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said that the former premier's attack on the ECP was “blackmailing”.

Talking to media personnel earlier today in Islamabad, the minister said that Imran Khan's government had not taken a single step for the development of the country or the welfare of the people.

He claimed that Imran was the strongest premier yet only because all institutions stood behind him.

“He strangled the media and arrested the opposition. No dictator has done what Imran has,” he added.