PTI to stage countrywide protests against poll rigging in Pak

Rawalpindi, Feb 27 (IANS) The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday announced staging countrywide protests with participation from other political parties on March 2 against the alleged rigging in the Pakistan general elections held on February 8, a media report said.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, who is also the party's candidate for the Prime Minister's post, made the announcement after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail, The News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the politician lamented "large-scale" rigging in the polls, saying the PTI would stage countrywide protests against the "rigging" in polls alongside other political parties, the report said.

"Our seats were stolen with just a stroke of pen. The people gave the mandate to the former PTI chairman. Nation's mandate and our seats have been attacked," Ayub said.

Ayub added that the party leaders have met the PTI founder, who is incarcerated at the prison, and he is "confident" of PTI's stance.

Stating that the party would protest in courts and assemblies, Ayub said, "Ours is the fight for truth."

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Adiala jail, PTI's central leader Sher Afzal Marwat also said that Imran Khan has directed to stage protests across the country on Saturday, The News reported.