ECP disqualified Imran Khan for five years for submitting false statement in Toshakhana reference
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Saturday staged protest demonstrations in Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Charsadda and Peshawar against the disqualification of party chairman Imran Khan for five years by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana case.
In Peshawar, protesters blocked roads near Pir Zakori Bridge for many hours.
Hundreds of PTI workers also gathered at Qayyum Stadium road in Saddar to stage a protest demonstration against the decision.
The charged protesters have burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the federal government and ECP and in favor of party leader Imran Khan.
Later, they proceeded to Saddar road in the Cantt and main city roads leading toward Motorway and blocked different link roads by burning tyres.
Some of the procession was led by local PTI MPAs and leaders in the city.
They staged a sit-in for many hours, causing suspension of traffic on the main GT road. They were chanting slogans against ECP and the verdict.
On receiving information about the blockade the officials of local administration and police rushed to different sites in the provincial capital but they did not take any action to disperse the protesters and restore traffic.
No central PTI leader participated in the protest demonstration, although party workers were expecting them, it has been observed.
Soon after the verdict announced by the ECP, a large numbers of PTI activists hailing from different areas of Peshawar including Hayatabad, University road, Saddar, Khyber Bazar, Nothia, Hashtnagri, and Charsadda road gathered near Motorway entry point blocked the road by burning tyres.
They staged protests in Gulbahar, Bacha Khan Chwak for more than 60 minutes, and workers also suspended traffic on the main Charasadda road.
KP ministers including Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran, Kamran Bangash, Atif Khan, Shahram Khan Tarakai and several MPAs from Peshawar, Mardan and Swat participated in protests and lead processions of party activists.
Speaking on the occasion, ministers criticised the decision and termed it a political rather than a legal decision and a conspiracy to remove PTI chairman Imran Khan from the country’s politics and pave the way for allegedly corrupt leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
They said that “Imran Khan was removed as prime minister through a foreign backed conspiracy and the decision taken by the ECP was the last episode of the regime change operation”.
CM Mahmood Khan also criticized the ECP for disqualifying PTI chairman Imran Khan and vowed for a legal battle to reverse what he called the unlawful decision regarding the disqualification of Imran Khan. “ Disqualification of Imran Khan by ECP is part of regime change operation started a few months ago through vote of no confidence in parliament,” he alleged.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP on Friday announced its reserved verdict in the Toshkhana reference and disqualified PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan for years.
The decision maintained that Imran Khan submitted false statements and incorrect declarations while responding to the electoral watchdog in Toshakhana reference.
The reference was sent to ECP by the National Assembly speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in August 2022. The reference was seeking disqualification of PTI chief Imran Khan in accordance with Articles 62A, 63A and 223 of the Constitution.
