Imran Khan’s PTI to hold protest against alleged rigging in February 8 polls – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan‘s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has announced to stage a protest in Islamabad on March 30, alleging election rigging during the February 8 polls, as per a media report on Saturday.
The party, founded by the 71-year-old former cricketer turned politician, claims that Shehbaz Sharif-led government stole their electoral mandate in the polls and the results were manipulated in Form 47s to favor the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur accused that the Prime Minister Sharif-led government stole PTI’s seats in the National Assembly, reducing their claimed 180 seats to only 92 and robbing its chance of coming back to power. “The incumbent government at the Centre has been formed after stealing PTI’s 180 seats,” Gandapur said.
The party had requested permission from the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner’s Office for a peaceful rally in Islamabad, but the city administration did not respond.
The former ruling party, seeking to hold a “peaceful protest rally”, moved to the Islamabad High Court after the city administration’s did not respond to the party’s request, leading to PTI planning protest rally instead, against the election rigging in the federal capital on the last day of this month.
Before the public rally in Islamabad, PTI will conduct a press briefing on March 25 regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package and its perceived negative impact on the economy and the public.
Pakistan, facing economic challenges, has a USD 3 billion arrangement with the global lender expiring on April 11. An agreement for the final tranche of USD 1.1 billion has been reached.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Pakistan will discuss an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF in Washington next month to address the economic crisis and revenue generation.
PTI also plans a public rally in Karachi on April 21.