Salman Akram Raja arrested in Lahore

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja has been arrested in Lahore during protest against alleged rigging in election 2024, ARY News reported.

As per details, Salman Akram Raja was arrested from outside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Jail Road office in Lahore.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) withdrawn the victory notification for the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party’s candidate Awn Chaudhry against Salman Akram Raja following the February 8 general elections.

According to ECP results, Chaudhry secured 172,576 votes while Barrister Raja received 159,024 votes in the constituency, but the victory notification of Awn Chaudhry was challenged by PTI-backed independent candidate Salman Akram Raja.

Yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called for nationwide demonstrations tomorrow (Saturday) to protest what it calls “brazen rigging” of February 8 general election.

Speaking to journalists after meeting Jamat-e-Islami (JI) leadership in Islamabad, PTI leader Asad Qaiser invited different political parties that believed that there was “rigging” in the elections to join the protest.

“The meeting was held under one-point agenda; the nation’s mandate was stolen in the elections 2024,” he said, adding that it was agreed to unite the voice against the “brazen rigging”.

Uncertainty looms over Pakistan’s political future as none of the major political parties – PML-N, PPP or the PTI-backed independent candidates – secured a simple majority in the National Assembly in the February 8 general elections.

Political stakeholders were making efforts to forge alliances and secure 169 seats in the 336-member lower house of parliament.

PTI-backed Independent candidates consolidated their lead in the general elections 2024 over mainstream political parties, especially in the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies, throughout the result announcement process.

According to the results announced so far, independent candidates have managed to win 101 seats. It is worth mentioning that out of these 101 independent candidates, 92 are supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while nine are general independent candidates.

PML-N is in the second position with 75 seats, while the PPP has won 54 seats. The MQM-P won in 17 constituencies, JUI-F in four, PML-Q in three, while IPP and BNP won two seats each.