SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial president Junaid Akbar said here on Friday that his party would continue struggle till its ‘stolen’ election mandate was returned to it.

He stated this while talking to mediapersons during a visit to venue of the party’s public meeting, which will be held near the Swabi Interchange on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway on Saturday (today).

“I am conveying the message of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan to the countrymen to participate in gathering,” he said.

Mr Akbar said that through the public meeting, the party wanted to send a message to the world that people of Pakistan were with Imran Khan. “People have to prove that they will not disappoint Imran Khan,” he said.

Mr Akbar recently assumed the office of PTI’s provincial president, replacing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Meanwhile, the party said on Friday that all arrangements had been completed for holding the public meeting.

It said key leaders visited the venue and inspected the arrangements for the gathering, which is meant to exert pressure on the central government to set Imran Khan free.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, MNA Shahram Khan Tarakai, Faisal Khan Tarakai, provincial minister for elementary and secondary education Abdul Karim, adviser to chief minister on industries, technical education and youth affairs Aqibullah Khan, irrigation minister Rangaiz Khan, adviser to chief minister for transport Murtaza Tarakai and Swabi tehsil mayor Attaullah Khan visited the meeting’s venue and directed the organisers to further improve the arrangements.

Talking to mediapersons, they said that the central government forced the PTI leaders to restart their campaign and present their case in the court of people.

“This is our constitutional right to stage peaceful protest,” Mr Qaiser said.

He said the Saturday gathering would send a clear message to the government to give up its policy of keeping Imran Khan behind the bars.

Mr Shahram said they would continue their protests while remaining in the parameters of the Constitution.

The PTI leaders appealed to the people to attend the public gathering in numbers.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2025