Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa arrested as PTI protests ‘election rigging’

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Salman Akram Raja and Sardar Latif Khosa have been arrested as party leaders and workers staged nationwide protests against alleged rigging in February 8 general election and stealing of mandate, ARY News reported on Sunday.  

PTI leaders and workers took to streets across the country with rallies being held in various cities of Punjab, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, along with protests in Karachi, Kandhkot, Tank and other cities.

According to a PTI spokesperson, the nation would never accept the “proven, most corrupt persons as the president and prime minister of the country against their will”.

Meanwhile, the Punjab police took Sardar Latif Khosa into custody in Lahore after authorities started arresting protesting PTI workers.

In a statement, Shehbaz Khosa said his father was arrested by station house officer (SHO) Cantt. “We have no information where the police have taken him [Latif Khosa],” he said.

Taking to X, Sher Afzal Marwat called the arrest “utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable”, adding that the authorities in Punjab need to stop the “unfair behaviour”.

It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody, an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable.

The authorities in Punjab need to quickly stop this unfair behavior.

The liberty to protest in a peaceful manner is a right of ours.… pic.twitter.com/HPH7y5Pot7

— Sher Afzal Khan Marwat (@sherafzalmarwat) March 10, 2024

The police have also arrested PTI-backed provincial assembly member Hafiz Farhat Abbas – who was participating in the protest against ‘election rigging’.

Similarly, the police arrested senior party leader and lawyer Salman Akram Raja from Lahore’s Ichhra.

The arrest of lawyer Salman Akram Raja is highly condemnable! Maryam Nawaz should immediately stop the policy of arresting people for simply protesting. The fake government is scared!pic.twitter.com/ybpHus8PTO

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 10, 2024

On the other hand, the PTI said party leader Mian Tariq Mehmood was arrested during a protest in Gujranwala.

Real face of Maryam Nawaz’s illegal government: leadership of PTI, in this case Mian Tariq Mehmood from Gujranwala, gets arrested just because they peacefully protest! #ProtestAgainstRigging pic.twitter.com/pRcKG5VQT9

— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 10, 2024

PTI South Punjab President Moin Riaz Qureshi and Multan President Malik Adnan Dogar were also arrested during a protest in Multan, the party said on X.

ملتان تحریک انصاف جنوبی پنجاب کے صدر معین ریاض قریشی اور سٹی صدر ملتان ملک عدنان ڈوگر کو گرفتار کر لیا گیا ہے#ProtestAgainstRigging pic.twitter.com/gJTboElYUM

— Tehreek-e-Insaf (@InsafPK) March 10, 2024

In Karachi, police and Sindh Rangers personnel have been deployed in front of the Korangi Deputy Commissioner’s office in anticipation of protest by PTI workers.

In Rawalpindi, PTI workers and police came face to face after a demonstration rally led by Seemabia Tahir was prevented from entering the city via the Khanna Pul route.

Furthermore, protests and demonstrations were also held in Faisalabad, Vehari, Khushab, Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala and other cities as well.