Police have registered a case against PTI workers after a protest in Lahore’s Ghalib Market area during the visit of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Those booked include Zain Khan Niazi, Jahanzaib Sohail, Ahmed Raza, Ali Rehman, Hassan Sajjad, Hafiz Shah, Muhammad Ihtisham, Aamir Naseer, Muhammad Wajid, Abdul Wakeel, Zakir Munir and Zameer Naseer. Police said 13 people were arrested during the protest.
Earlier on Saturday, Afridi announced that PTI would hold a public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan at 6pm on Sunday as part of its street movement.
Speaking later, Afridi rejected claims that PTI no longer existed in Punjab and announced the Sunday rally.
Without naming the party, he challenged the PML-N to compete over who could draw a larger crowd in each other’s province.
“They can select a ground of their choice. Let’s see who will bring more people,” Afridi said. He added that rival parties could hold their rally next week.
Afridi said jailed PTI leaders were in “wrongful confinement” and remained a source of strength for the party.
He praised them for standing with Imran Khan despite health issues and what he called “all the oppression and fascism.”
PTI distances itself from UK protester
Separately, the PTI on Saturday distanced itself from “provocative” remarks by a protester during a demonstration in the British city of Bradford, as the party continues to face backlash from the government and other quarters.
In a strongly-worded statement on Saturday, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that the speech delivered by the demonstrator in the UK has “no connection” whatsoever with the party.
Furthermore, he stated that the woman held no position within PTI and has no affiliation with the party. Therefore, PTI completely disowned her rhetoric and emphasised that it has never endorsed such irresponsible and inflammatory statements from any party office-bearer.
Akram stated that the views expressed, the language used, and the tone adopted in the speech do not reflect PTI’s official stance, political ideology, or vision.
“PTI, as a matter of principle, strongly opposes violence, hate speech, incitement, inflammatory rhetoric, and the use of unethical or indecent language in political discourse. PTI firmly believes in democratic, constitutional, and peaceful political struggle, and does not endorse or support any individual or group engaging in conduct contrary to these values,” he said.
The PTI also strongly condemned the Punjab government for the treatment of KP CM.