Haleem Adil Sheikh, President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh, addressed a press conference at Insaf House Karachi, announcing a province-wide protest campaign against what he termed the “stolen mandate” from February 1 to February 8.

According to a statement issued from PTI, he also declared February 8 as a “Black Day” to mark the alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 general elections.

Speaking to the media, heikh criticized the government for imposing restrictions on media and suppressing freedom of expression. He stated, “After the PECA Act, the nation is suffering. First, we were oppressed, and now the media is being silenced. We stand in solidarity with the media’s protest and strongly oppose any conspiracy to stifle the voice of freedom.”

He recalled February 8 of the previous year as a “dark day” when the future of the country was allegedly compromised through electoral manipulation. He claimed that PTI’s mandate was stolen through Form 47, despite the public’s overwhelming support for the party. “Our symbol was taken away, our campaign was restricted, yet the people voted for PTI. However, their mandate was stolen through a conspiracy, pushing Pakistan into economic and political decline,” he said.

He further alleged that the country was pushed into darkness, and the public’s decision was overturned through electoral fraud. “The people voted with their conscience, but their votes were stolen, and our mandate was snatched,” he added.

Sheikh provided detailed statistics, claiming that PTI had won 174 out of 266 National Assembly seats according to Form 45, but through alleged manipulation in Form 47, the party was reduced to just 93 seats. He accused rival parties of benefiting from this fraud, particularly in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi.

In Karachi, PTI reportedly won 20 out of 22 National Assembly seats, but through Form 47, 17 seats were allegedly gifted to MQM and 5 to PPP. Similar patterns were reported in Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, where PTI’s seats were allegedly reduced and given to rival parties.

Khurram Sher Zaman, another PTI leader, criticized the current government’s economic policies, stating, “They claim the economy is improving, but why are prices not decreasing? These incompetent rulers will remain incompetent.” He also called for the release of all political workers to ensure political stability.

Raja Azhar, PTI Karachi President, announced the launch of a campaign in Karachi, culminating in a grand rally on February 8. “We will take to the streets on February 8, and the public will join us in large numbers to protest against the stolen mandate,” he said.

The press conference concluded with a call for nationwide protests and a demand for accountability in the electoral process.