We Will Not Be Silenced: PTI Refuses to Back Down After Leaders’ Arrests

Peshawar_The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has vowed to continue its anti-government movement despite the arrest of several party leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Azam Swati, in a late-night police crackdown on September 9. PTI leader Salman Akram Raja addressed a press conference in Peshawar, stating that the party would not back down and allow anyone to suppress the voice of Pakistanis.

Raja alleged that some individuals were influencing the country’s political and democratic process and defended the PTI leaders’ speeches in the Islamabad rally, saying that political power shows have a different environment. The party strongly condemned the arrests, including the detention of MNAs from the parliament, and termed September 9 a “black day.”

Journalists protested at the beginning of the press conference over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s remarks against newsmen during the PTI’s Islamabad power show. Raja replied that CM Gandapur had departed for an assembly session.

Omar Ayub, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, slammed the coalition government for using tactics to stop the PTI’s Islamabad public gathering and levelled false allegations against the party. Asad Qaiser announced that the PTI would fight for its rights on the streets and in courts, demanding the release of Imran Khan and other party leaders. He also demanded fresh elections and termed the incumbent government “illegitimate.”

The PTI’s core committee decided to launch nationwide protests from Friday, and party lawmakers will take up the matter of the PTI leaders’ arrest on the assembly floor. PTI chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was released by the Islamabad police after a case against him was discharged. The PTI lawmakers have been accused of attacking police officials and violating regulations under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024.