Swabi, February 8, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reiterated claims that the party’s mandate was “stolen” in the 2024 general elections, as PTI marked a “Black Day” with protests across the country. Addressing a rally in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), he accused the ruling coalition of electoral manipulation, asserting, “We won the elections in Punjab, but our mandate was stolen in the dead of night.” The government continues to reject these allegations.
PTI supporters staged demonstrations in multiple cities, including Multan and Muzaffarabad, leading to arrests. Gohar emphasized that Pakistan’s economic stability hinged on political stability and called for an independent judiciary, stating that only a free judicial system could ensure political balance.
Discussing the stalled dialogue between PTI and the ruling coalition, he revealed that the party had entered talks at the behest of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, negotiations collapsed last month when the government refused to meet PTI’s key demands, including judicial probes into the May 9, 2023, unrest and the November 26, 2024, police crackdown on party workers in Islamabad.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur delivered a fiery speech, warning that if PTI sought revenge, its opponents “wouldn’t be able to bear it.” He cautioned that growing political divisions could destabilize Pakistan but insisted the party remained committed to upholding the rule of law and constitutional supremacy.
PTI KP President Junaid Akbar signaled further protests, stating that Imran Khan would soon issue a new call to action. He declared that party workers were undeterred, vowing, “We will take to the streets prepared to face bullets.” However, he clarified that PTI was not seeking confrontation with state institutions.
