Salman Akram Raja, a senior lawyer and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was arrested in Lahore on Saturday amid protests against alleged election rigging. As he was escorted by security personnel towards a police vehicle, Raja asserted his solidarity “with the people of Pakistan.”

The PTI chairman, Barrister Gohar, had announced nationwide protest demonstrations against perceived rigging in the general election, inviting various political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, Grand Democratic Alliance, and others, to join the protest for democracy, rule of law, and freedom.

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In a significant development, a delegation from PTI met with leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, expressing concerns over alleged rigging and announcing a joint protest. Asad Qaiser, a PTI leader and former speaker of the National Assembly, stated that the two parties had a unified agenda to protest against what they perceived as “rigged” elections. He emphasized the unprecedented level of rigging alleged in this election and announced a nationwide protest scheduled for Saturday.

Last week, PTI workers and supporters staged protests nationwide, accusing the electoral system of trickery and result manipulation. Demonstrations were held across various cities, with protesters alleging tampering with election outcomes to undermine their democratic mandate. Provincial administrations responded by deploying substantial police forces in these areas to manage the protests against alleged attempts to undermine the public mandate.

The arrest of Salman Akram Raja underscores the intensifying tensions surrounding allegations of election irregularities, with PTI and other parties voicing their dissent and mobilizing supporters to demand accountability and transparency in the electoral process.