The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) officially brought its protest in Rawalpindi to a close on Saturday after a scheduled demonstration, which lasted from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar announced the end of the protest once the allotted time concluded, urging party supporters to return home peacefully and avoid further gatherings at locations like Liaquat Bagh.
During the protest, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur addressed the crowd, confirming the end of the demonstration.
He acknowledged that roadblocks and other logistical challenges had impeded the protesters’ movement but assured that the party would organize another rally in the future.
Gandapur condemned the government’s use of tear gas and force against the demonstrators but reiterated that PTI does not seek conflict with state institutions.
KP Government Information Adviser, Barrister Saif, also spoke on the protest, stating that Chief Minister Gandapur had led a significant demonstration across Punjab and Islamabad.
Saif confirmed that the rally concluded peacefully after five hours, as planned, and that PTI plans to continue its efforts for constitutional rights and justice with another protest scheduled for the coming week.
Violence broke out during the demonstration when PTI supporters clashed with police, particularly on Murree Road.
Protesters reportedly threw stones at officers, prompting the use of tear gas by authorities. Several police officers sustained injuries and required hospitalization due to the clashes. The tear gas also affected local residents in the area.
During the protest, PTI leaders Barrister Gohar and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja were briefly detained by the police near Sector H-13, Islamabad, but were later released.
Their arrest prevented them from participating in the Rawalpindi protest. Additionally, other PTI members, including MPA Tanweer Asalam Raja and Samabiya Tahir, were also arrested during the day’s events.
