IslamabadPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has announced that February 8, 2024 will be observed as Black Day across the country.
The announcement comes as part of the PTI’s ongoing campaign against it, which it alleges has been blamed for the same date last year. The general elections were “rigged”.
According to sources, PTI’s Members of National Assembly (MNA) and Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA) have been instructed to hold demonstrations in their respective constituencies. Party leaders have been directed to mobilize their supporters and prepare for mass protests while refraining from making public statements against JUI(F) chief Fazlur Rehman.
In a bid to strengthen the alliance, Imran Khan has also urged party leaders to join forces with opposition figures, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, to garner wider support for the protest.
The decision to observe Black Day comes at a time when the PTI has intensified its opposition to the ruling government. The party has alleged widespread irregularities in the February 8, 2024 general elections, where independent candidates backed by former PTI members reportedly won a majority. Nevertheless, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) formed a coalition government, effectively sidelining the PTI.
The caretaker government at the time rejected allegations of election rigging, saying the elections were conducted in a transparent manner.
Meanwhile, the PTI is reportedly engaged in talks with the federal government to deal with the current political uncertainty. PTI chairman Barrister Gauhar confirmed that the party will present its demands in writing in the third round of talks on January 16.
Barrister Gauhar said that there will be a third meeting of negotiations with the government tomorrow during which we will present our demands in writing.
As the political environment remains tense, the declaration of Black Day and PTI’s preparations for nationwide protests signal a further escalation of the standoff between the opposition and the ruling coalition.
