ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday held nationwide protests against alleged rigging and vote fraud in by-polls held on April 21 over about two dozen national and provincial assembly seats, vowing to continue until its mandate was restored.

PTI leaders believe election results were manipulated in favor of their political rivals in the recent contest after already rejecting the outcome of the February 8 national polls. The party complained of harassment and state crackdown soon after the downfall of its administration in a no-trust vote in April 2022.

Khan has now directed his party from a high-security prison in Rawalpindi, where he has spent several months after being incarcerated last August, to protest against the rigging until its mandate is restored.

“It will not end here,” Shoaib Shaheen, a PTI leader who spearheaded a protest rally in Islamabad, told Arab News. “We held our peaceful protest demonstration today despite police’s harassment and threats to arrest the workers and leadership.”

Hundreds of male and female protesters responded to the PTI’s protest call in different cities including Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. The demonstrators were carrying the party flags and Khan’s portraits, demanding his release from the jail. Some of them were also wearing Khan’s face masks to express solidarity with him.

The PTI has already formed a six-party opposition alliance for a nationwide movement against the alleged vote fraud. The alliance held its first protest gathering in Pishin, Balochistan, earlier this month and announced next major public gatherings in Karachi and Faisalabad.

“The nationwide protests would continue until our mandate is restored,” Shaheen said. “This is not just a protest but movement for restoration of democracy and rule of law in Pakistan.”

The party maintained it had won over 180 National Assembly seats in the February 8 polls, but its mandate was just reduced to 90 seats. It also complained of being denied its due share in the reserved seats for women and religious minorities in parliament since all of its candidates had contested as independents after the Supreme Court took away the party’s iconic symbol of a cricket bat days ahead of the national polls.

“We are being denied all our democratic, legal and even basic human rights,” Shaheen said. “All Pakistanis should join us in the movement for restoration of political and economic stability in the country.”

The PTI delegations have frequently been denied by the sitting government.

Prior to the Friday protest, the Islamabad Capital Territory police imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), preventing large gatherings to ensure maintenance of public order.

“Strict action will be taken against those who violate the law,” the police said in a social media post. “Blocking of roads and disruption of normal life will not be tolerated. The law is equal for all and action will be taken against violation.”

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Friday approved the extension of Proof of Registration (POR) cards for Afghan refugees for another two months amid an ongoing deportation drive against unregistered foreigners in the country.

POR cards are identification documents issued by Pakistani authorities to Afghan refugees. These cards serve as official recognition of the refugees’ legal status in the country, allowing them to access various services such as education, health care and banking.

The Pakistan government extends these cards on a periodic basis, often depending on the political and security situations involving both countries. The extension of these cards is typically subject to review by the Pakistani government, in consultation with international organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“The federal cabinet has approved the extension of the validity of Proof of Registration cards for Afghan refugees from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, on the recommendation of SAFRON [the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions],” announced an official statement issued after the cabinet meeting.

“The cabinet was informed that this extension would allow POR cardholders to benefit from facilities such as schools, bank accounts and other services in Pakistan,” it added. “These POR cardholders will be sent back to their home countries in the third phase of the program for repatriating foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan.”

Pakistan initiated a deportation drive targeting “illegal immigrants,” predominantly Afghans, late last year, citing security concerns amid a spike in militant attacks.

The move stirred unease among registered Afghan refugees, many of whom pointed out they were anxious about their uncertain future.

Pakistani officials have attributed several lethal attacks on both security forces and civilians to Afghan nationals, expressing their commitment to repatriate all Afghan refugees, including many born in Pakistan to families who settled during the 1980s following the Soviet invasion.

The Afghan authorities in Kabul have objected to the deportation drive, disputing that Afghan nationals had any role in the ongoing security deficit in Pakistan.

They have also maintained that Pakistan should have consulted them over the issue and given more time to Afghan nationals before sending them back to their country.