Imran Khan’s supporters stage protest outside election commission offices across Pakistan

PTI

Islamabad, April 26

Supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday held protests outside the election commission offices across the country, demanding resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over his alleged biased conduct.

Sikandar Sultan Raja, a former senior bureaucrat, was appointed as head of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by the previous Imran Khan government, but now the former premier has turned against him and accuses him of “favouring” his rival political parties – an allegation rejected by the CEC.

The party workers of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged demonstrations outside the election commission offices in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Gujrat and Faisalabad, among other cities.

The main rally was held outside the ECP head office in Islamabad, with protestors chanting slogans against the CEC and demanding his resignation.

“Our workers are staging a symbolic protest outside the ECP office in the capital but thousands of party members were unable to reach the site of demonstration as routes have been blocked,” PTI leader Shibli Faraz said.

Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid said even if the “government and entire establishment come together, they cannot stop the elections from taking place”.

Meanwhile, strict security measures were taken in the capital to stop protestors from entering the Red Zone which houses many state buildings, including the ECP.

In Lahore, a large contingent of police was deployed outside the ECP office and barriers were placed as citizens were barred from entering the building. Protests also gathered outside the ECP office in Peshawar and raised slogans. They also tried to force their way into the building but were stopped.

The PTI had announced on Sunday that it would stage protests outside ECP offices, alleging that the CEC had been biased against the party.

The demonstrations were apparently a part of a strategy to put pressure on CEC Raja as he was nearing the conclusion of hearing in the case of foreign funding against the PTI.

Many experts believe that the party has failed to convince the ECP during the hearing of the case about the legality of funds deposited in some of its bank accounts.

Khan was ousted earlier this month through a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was orchestrated by the US through a conspiracy to topple his government for following an independent foreign policy. The US has rebuffed the claims multiple times.

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