According to Express News, PTI protesters organised in convoys to reach the protest site, leading to intermittent skirmishes with police. Many activists advanced towards D-Chowk, pushing back law enforcement agencies, but were met with intense tear gas shelling that forced them to retreat.

The confrontations, which began in the morning, involved protesters throwing stones and retaliating against police actions. Earlier, demonstrators successfully removed obstacles to advance towards D-Chowk.

A convoy of 800 PTI activists from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) entered Rawalpindi, where enraged individuals set a crane and a motorcycle on fire at Chungi Number 26.

The back-and-forth between police and PTI workers continued for an extended period on Jinnah Avenue, with police deploying tear gas and rubber bullets. Due to a shortage of tear gas, PTI activists took the opportunity to advance, resulting in clashes where protesters pelted stones and used slingshots against the police.

Meanwhile, a significant police and Rangers contingent arrived at K-P House to detain Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, bringing along a prisoner transport vehicle. Reports surfaced of Gandapur’s arrest, though he has reportedly not yet been apprehended while his mobile phone was said to be turned off.

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai confirmed that the CM was still at the K-P House where he presented demands to the administration, including the immediate release of the party’s founder and addressing grievances related to ongoing injustices.

Protesters close in on D-Chowk

Meanwhile, PTI activists advanced past China Chowk and neared D-Chowk, prompting police to order the removal of media vehicles from the area.

Renewed clashes erupted at China Chowk as police began shelling again, leading to chaotic scenes at D-Chowk where protesters set fire to trees. Police retaliated with tear gas, forcing them back toward China Chowk.

Rangers were deployed to manage the situation and regain control of D-Chowk, dispersing the PTI demonstrators. However, heavy rain in Islamabad brought relief to the protesters, alleviating the effects of tear gas. During the confrontation, a journalist from a private TV channel was injured due to police shelling and rubber bullets.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned PTI’s protests, stating that the timing of their actions was unfortunate and aimed at damaging Pakistan’s international standing. He stressed the need for unity and responsibility at a time when the country is hosting the SCO summit.

Dar argued that the protests were intended to create chaos and undermine Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, highlighting the importance of focusing on national stability over narrow political interests. (Express Tribune)

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Senators from two sides of the political aisle sparred over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) linking the release of the next tranche of the bailout package with the ‘audit’ of the February 8 elections, Dawn reported.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Saadia Abbasi, while raising the issue in the Upper House of Parliament regretted inviting the global lender to intervene in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

She said IMF was “neither an investigation agency nor had the role to impose its will in matters linked with Pakistan’s sovereignty.” She added that Khan’s role was one of the strongest opposition parties at present.

Abbasi further said the opposition was a watchdog on government and a government-in-waiting, but “domestic issues should be resolved domestically,” highlighting the need for all to join hands to protect the country’s interests.

Hitting back, PTI Senator Humayun Mohmand said that it was the IMF that had sought a meeting with Khan in June 2023. He said the IMF Board of Governors had declared that it would offer bailout package “only after Imran Khan gave a guarantee.”

He said the PTI chairman had been told that the first tranche would be released to the Pakistan Democratic Movement the ruling coalition government, the second to the caretaker government and the third to the government “that will get people’s mandate in a free and fair election.”

“We are just reminding them that the next tranche is to be given to those having mandate,” the senator said, while accusing the ruling government of “being formed by those who had stolen mandate.”

Mohmand reminded PML-N Senator Abbasi that this was also the opinion of former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former PPP senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and PML-N leader Javed Latif. He praised the PML-N candidate from NA-66, Nisar Cheema, for admitting that defeat was better than a stolen mandate, according to Dawn.

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that inviting a foreign institution to intervene in Pakistan’s internal affairs was condemnable. He also informed the chair that he has already submitted an adjournment motion on the subject with the secretariat.

PTI lawmaker Zeeshan Khanzada criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not allocating reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which has been joined by PTI-backed independent candidates.

Another PTI Senator, Saifullah Abro, emphasised that the election to the office of Prime Minister should be held only after the National Assembly is complete, with the allocation of reserved seats. He said that except PML-N, every party was complaining that “elections had been rigged,” Dawn reported. (ANI)

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