<\/p>\n
ISLAMABAD: Pakis\u00adtan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters on Sunday initiated protests in various cities across the country against alleged \u201crigging in the general election\u201d held on Feb 8.<\/p>\n
PTI workers blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway in continuing protest against what they called rigging in the general elections in Peshawar.<\/p>\n
A large number of PTI workers and supporters gathered at the Motorway toll plaza, blocking the road to all vehicular traffic from noon until Sunday night.<\/p>\n
The PTI workers have been protesting for the third consecutive day against alleged rigging on eight Provincial and one National Assembly seats in the elections.<\/p>\n
The sit-in was ongoing at the time of filing this report.<\/p>\n
Arrests in Punjab<\/strong><\/p>\n In Punjab, PTI initially planned \u201cpeaceful\u201d pro\u00adtest demonstrations against \u201cmassive rigging post-polling\u201d across major cities but cancelled some of them hours before the scheduled time, citing fears of \u201ca false flag operation\u201d.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, protests took place in several cities across the province, including Lahore, where police arrested dozens of PTI supporters who reached the protest venues.<\/p>\n In Rahim Yar Khan, police reportedly raided the residences of seven PTI-backed independent candidates who won their seats on Feb 8, allegedly to coerce them into joining PML-N, according to local PTI leadership.<\/p>\n Sindh protests escalate<\/strong><\/p>\n Political parties across Sindh continued their protests against alleged rigging for the second consecutive day as Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) blocked road links in the province, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) staged sit-ins in different parts of Karachi, and PTI again held a demonstration outside ECP Sindh\u2019s headquarters in the city.<\/p>\n