Latif Khosa demands Imran's release, audit of election results

LAHORE: Demanding the authorities to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and hold an audit into the results of the February 8 general elections, MNA Latif Khosa Monday said his party would continue staging protests till its "mandate" was restored.

As several PTI supporters were nabbed on allegations of violence in Lahore, the PTI leader demanded from the authorities concerned to grant freedom to PTI founder Imran Khan, and other party leaders and supporters who were arrested for protests.

Addressing media persons in the Lahore, he said his party fundamentally had just one ask of conducting an audit of general poll results. He said the same government could continue its work after their political mandate was returned.

Claiming that police had assaulted PTI's workers, Khosa stressed that the party would continue its protests to uphold the people's right to self-govern and elect their representatives.

"I will register an FIR against them for kidnapping. We'll see how this government can run," he said referring to police’s arrest of PTI workers as abduction.

He asked the police to tell on whose order they were carrying out action against the political activists.

The veteran politician apprised that he also went to the police station where he was made to sit for six hours in station house officer's room. However, he admitted, no police official misbehaved with him. He said he told police that he was a sitting MNA, therefore, he could not be arrested without the National Assembly speaker’s permission.

He said a case was lodged against PTI’s Salman Akram Raja for blocking the road, which he denied was the case saying they only held a peaceful protest. He asked the authorities to show surveillance camera footage if arteries were blocked.

Earlier, about 40 PTI leaders and workers had been booked under serious charges including terrorism, abduction, interference in public affairs and harassment.

Sources said the PTI leaders and supporters had staged a protest on Mall Road in Lahore against alleged rigging in the general elections 2024.

As per the first investigation report (FIR), at least 38 PTI workers including women are nominated in the case.

It claimed that PTI leader Hafiz Farhat Abbas incited the party activists to damage public properties. Henceforth, they damaged a government vehicle too, it added.

Abbas along with four to five other unidentified persons opened fire and manhandled a police constable tearing his uniform, the FIR said adding police detained the PTI leader and recovered a pistol from him. The FIR mentioned that batons and clubs were recovered from 42 suspects arrested by police.

A day ago, a number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, including Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, were taken into custody during the police action in different cities as the former ruling party staged countrywide protests against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections.

PTI supporters and activists Sunday took to streets almost across the country with rallies being held in Rawalpindi along with protests in Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities, following the Imran Khan-founded party's call for demonstrations against “manipulation of election results and stealing” of the PTI’s mandate in the recent elections.