PTI announces nationwide protests against abduction of its social media activists

LAHORE — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former prime minister Imran Khan, has announced countrywide protests in response to the "abduction" of members of its social media team.

According to the PTI, a number of its social media team members have gone "missing" from several cities this month, including Azhar Mashwani, who serves as Khan's focal person. The party claims that on March 23, Mashwani went missing from the front of his Lahore residence.

The PTI social media team members' whereabouts are unknown, according to police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), sparking concerns that they may be in the hands of Pakistani intelligence services.

Khan and other PTI leaders have called on supporters to organise rallies around the nation for recovery of these missing members of social media team.

“All our people must come out & support this peaceful protest. Gross violation of human rights is ongoing & everyone knows who is behind this,” Khan said in a tweet on Friday.

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1641466262097219586

“We will stand up against this & fight to the last ball & will never accept these crooks imposed upon us.”

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1641466265083469826

Khan and other PTI leaders has asked supporters to organise protests around the nation at 3pm on Friday for recovery of these missing members of the social media team.

“All our people must come out & support this peaceful protest. Gross violation of human rights is ongoing & everyone knows who is behind this,” Khan said in a tweet on Friday.

“We will stand up against this & fight to the last ball & will never accept these crooks imposed upon us.”