Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members endured their PTI Hunger Strikes outside the Parliament House in Islamabad and the Punjab Assembly for the second consecutive day. Stressing the release of the PTI founder. The protest saw massive participation from PTI lawmakers, senators, and supporters, who expressed discontent via full-of-life slogans against the government.
Protest and Hunger Strike
The hunger strike and protest camp outside the Parliament House witnessed substantial attendance from PTI members. Including opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan, Senator Shibli Faraz, and other National Assembly members. The participants chanted slogans calling for the release of the PTI founder and other detainees. Opposition leaders criticized the government. Mahmood Khan Achakzai emphasized that the country was founded for the supremacy of the constitution and law, not for seizing power through force or money. He stressed that there are two ways to remove a government, but they are choosing a path that avoids chaos.
Latif Khosa voiced support for judicial independence, criticizing the ruling party’s actions post-judicial decisions and threatening to file a contempt of court petition against the Punjab Chief Minister for alleged threats to the judiciary. Barrister Gohar asserted that no ban could be imposed on PTI, which he described as a people’s party, and suggested that restrictions should be placed on those whose statements have been used against Pakistan in international forums.
Symbolic Hunger Strike at Punjab Assembly
In Punjab, PTI also set up a symbolic hunger strike camp outside the Punjab Assembly. Significant participation from assembly members and activists. Prominent figures included opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar. Deputy Opposition Leader Moein Riaz Qureshi. Other members such as Mian Ijaz Shafi, Sheikh Imtiaz, Ali Imtiaz Waraich, Nadia Khar, Basma Choudhry, Tariq Gujjar, and Arqam Khan.
Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar announced plans to escalate the symbolic PTI Hunger Strikes into a full-fledged protest movement across the province. He criticized the current government’s failure to provide relief and the adverse impact of its economic policies on the public. Bhachar predicted the hunger strike would soon involve 50,000 participants, signaling a broader protest against the government’s policies.
Senior PTI leader Senator Azam Khan Swati and other key figures also joined the protest. They condemned the charges against the PTI founder and called for an end to what they described as unjust legal actions. The ongoing protest reflects the PTI’s commitment to challenging the government’s actions and pushing for the release of its leader.
