ISLAMABAD: A protest staged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) outside Adiala Jail once again failed to make an impact, as the party’s leadership and workers were forced to disperse after a police crackdown.
Sources state that Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister and PTI’s founder, and Aleema Khan, his sister, left the protest after 11 hours of non-violent demonstration at the Factory Naka. After the police action, Aleema Khan and some other PTI leaders fled being Salman Akram Raja, Shaukat Basra, and Shahid Khatak, from the area of protest and went to their cars.
The protest began when Aleema Khan asked to see her brother and was denied. The demonstration was, however characterized by the absence of public support and the workers were soon dispersed as police promptly acted to restore order in the area.
This is not the first time the PTI’s protests or sit-ins have failed to make a significant impact. The party’s claims notwithstanding, its street movements and protests have not gained the level of success or public backing that was anticipated. Political analysts think that this trend does not favor the PTI in terms of mobilizing its supporters and getting results, particularly when it is over 13 years that it has governed the province.
The party’s constant inability to deliver on the promises has disappointed the public, with many people not buying PTI quality claims. Consequently, smaller and less frequent protests have become a revealing sign of PTI losing its grassroots support.
According to the police, no incidents arose during the clearance of the crowd; the police spokesperson for his part said that all measures were done in accordance to the law.
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