Pakistan: PTI to continue with nationwide protest, shutter-down strike; will mourn for Islamabad blast victims

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 8 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Qaiser stated that the party will proceed with its nationwide protest today, marking the second anniversary of the 2024 general elections, while also observing a day of mourning following Friday's suicide bombing in the federal capital, Dawn reported.
Clarifying the party's stance, Qaiser told Dawn on Saturday that rumours about the protest being called off or delayed were unfounded, saying, "The fact is that we have decided that the day will be observed as a national day of mourning. At the same time, protests will also be held across the country against rigging during the general elections."
Placing the significance of February 8 in a broader national context, he added that the day goes beyond the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or its founder Imran Khan.
"It is a day on which the whole nation was deprived of democracy and the right to choose its representatives. We will hold the protest and a complete shutter-down strike against the injustice with the masses," Qaiser said, according to Dawn.
Expanding on the party's roadmap beyond today's protests, Qaiser further said that the PTI and the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan opposition alliance would continue efforts to revive democratic norms and uphold the rule of law even after February 8.
He added that around 10 committees had been formed at international, national and provincial levels to mobilise public support and ensure the success of the protest.
Reiterating his criticism of the electoral process, he emphasised, "February 8 was a day of humiliation for the entire nation, as people were deprived of their basic right to elect representatives."
Echoing this stance, PTI Islamabad President Amir Mughal said in a separate statement that the party would observe a day of mourning while holding demonstrations, Dawn reported.
Linking law enforcement actions to recent security lapses, Mughal said, "It is unfortunate that Islamabad police and other law enforcement agencies were spending day and night cracking down on PTI workers and trying to arrest them to make the protest unsuccessful."
He claimed this focus led to compromised security arrangements, resulting in the attack on the imambargah.
"If police had focused on the security of the federal capital, the suicide attacker may not have entered the city," he added.
The incident occurred in Islamabad, as political tensions remain high ahead of today's coordinated protests across Pakistan. (ANI)