PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers took to the streets in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday to protest disqualification of their party chief Imran Khan by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Toshakhana reference.

The PTI workers blocked main roads and intersections in different parts of the province, suspending the vehicular traffic for some time.

By the evening, the protesters had dispersed peacefully and all roads were reopened.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the ECP’s decision, the protesters also chanted slogans in favour of their leader Imran Khan.

Block roads and motorway, disrupt traffic in major cities

In Peshawar, scores of PTI workers blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and GT Road at Pir Zakori Chowk, the busy Phase-3 Hayatabad Chowk and Stadium Chowk in Peshawar Saddar. Later, they dispersed peacefully.

No baton charge or teargas took place in these protest demonstrations in the provincial capital as PTI is ruling KP.

The protesters set tyres ablaze, suspending traffic on the roads.

PTI youth wing president Meena Khan led the protesters on the motorway.

Talking to mediapersons, Meena Khan said the ECP verdict was not acceptable to the supporters of Imran Khan. He said their protest would continue till the ECP’s verdict was nullified.

In Nowshera, the PTI workers blocked the Khairabad Bridge, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab, suspending traffic.

The protesters also blocked the GT Road at busy Shobra Chowk in Nowshera Bazaar and in Pubbi area.

In Haripur, PTI workers demonstrated in all the three tehsils of the district to condemn their leader’s disqualification.

The charged workers blocked all the main points of the GT Road in Sera-i-Saleh, Shah Maqsood, Tank Chowk, Hattar Road, Khanpur Road and the link roads leading to interchanges of Hazara Motorway, bringing traffic to a halt.

The protesters lit bonfires as a mark of protest, troubling the commuters, especially the patients and the elderly. The workers rejected the ECP decision against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference.

Provincial minister Arshad Ayub Khan, MPA Akbar Ayub Khan, Yusuf Ayub Khan, former district nazim Akhtar Nawaz Khan, chairmen and councillors of different village and neighbourhood councils participated in the protests.

In Charsadda, the PTI workers come onto the roads against former prime minister’s disqualification.

The protesters blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway by setting used tyres on fire. They also staged a protest at the Faqrooq Azam Chowk in Charsadda Bazaar.

Addressing the protesters, former MNA Fazal Mohammad Khan, Arshad Umarzai, party’s district president Azizullah Khan and others condemned the ECP verdict. They urged the courts to nullify the ECP decision.

In Lakki Marwat, PTI workers held a protest in Lakki city against disqualification of former prime minister Imran Khan by the election commission.

Led by PTI district president Johar Mohammad Khan, the protesters waving party flags converged at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk, and later marched on the Lakki-Tajazai Road, carrying placards inscribed with slogans against the verdict.

The workers also burnt used tyres and kept the busy road closed for some time. The speakers condemned the ruling alliance and termed the ECP decision against spirit of law and sentiments of people.

In Shangla, PTI activists and leaders came onto the roads in different parts of the district soon after the election commission announced the verdict against their leader.

Rallies were held in Alpuri, Puran and Bisham, where the protesters chanted slogans against the chief election commissioner and the federal government.

They also set used tyres on fire on the Bisham-Swat Road.

In Bajaur, the PTI workers blocked Bajaur-Peshawar Road to protest the verdict.

Scores of party activists belonging to different areas participated in the demonstration held in Khar Bazaar. Besides party workers, traders and general public also participated.

The angry protesters were chanting slogans against the ECP, the coalition government and in favour of party chairman Imran Khan.

Provincial minister Anwarzeb Khan, MNAs Gul Dad Khan,

Gul Zafar Khan, MPA Ajmal Khan, Nawagai tehsil council chairman Dr Khalilur Rahman and others spoke on the occasion.

In Kohat, leaders and workers of PTI blocked the Indus highway in protest against the disqualification of their party leader by the ECP.

PTI leaders Daud Afridi and Mansoor, speaking on the occasion, said the “biased” election commission and NAB were acting as a tool of the “imported government”, which had shelved all their corruption cases. They refused to accept verdict of the election commission.

In Mansehra, PTI activists took to the streets in Mansehra, Upper Kohistan, Oghi and other parts of the division against the ECP verdict.

The angry protesters blocked the Karakoram Highway in Mansehra and Upper Kohistan in protest against the disqualification of Imran Khan by the election commission in the Toshakhana case.

Chief minister’s special assistant Ahmad Hussain Shah and Kamal Saleem Swati addressed the protesters in Mansehra.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2022