SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser has announced that the party will observe February 8 as a Black Day, marking a significant protest against what they call the rigging of the 2018 elections.
In a media statement, Qaiser said that on this day, PTI supporters from across the country would gather for a major rally in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The rally, he said, would serve as a demonstration of the people’s desire to make decisions for Pakistan, emphasizing that the “real mandate” of PTI had been forcibly taken from them.
Qaiser condemned the election results, reiterating that despite the majority of people voting in favor of PTI and its leadership, the party’s rights were “robbed overnight.” He accused the government of suppressing the will of the people, calling it a dark day in Pakistan’s history.
PTI chairman Imran Khan has previously announced the Swabi rally and called for protests in other cities as well, emphasizing that the demonstration would highlight the widespread dissatisfaction with the election process and the perceived injustice that took place.
Qaiser highlighted that the election was conducted in the name of Imran Khan, with the party leader being immensely popular among the people. He reiterated that PTI workers would protest in solidarity, voicing their opposition to what they believe was election rigging.
Barrister Gohar, the chairman of PTI, also spoke out about the failed negotiations between the government and PTI. In an interview in Abbottabad, Gohar criticized the government for its lack of seriousness in the negotiations, claiming that it was the government that had closed the door to talks, not PTI.
He explained that PTI’s demands were clear: the release of political prisoners and the formation of a commission to investigate election rigging. Despite a month of negotiations, Gohar said no progress was made, and the government had not shared any written proposals.
The Black Day protest on February 8 is a direct challenge to the government’s handling of the situation and a call for accountability regarding the elections. PTI’s leadership and workers remain steadfast in their resolve to seek justice and ensure that the people’s will is respected.
