JI also announces protest on one-year anniversary of Feb 8 polls

The chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, announced plans to observe a “Black Day” on February 8, marking the one-year anniversary of the general elections that JI claims were rigged.

The party has called for nationwide protests, including one outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Karachi.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Rehman said, “JI will observe Youm-e-Siyah [Black Day] on Feb. 8 over the stolen mandate and rigged elections last year.” While JI did not secure any National Assembly seats, the party gained two provincial seats in Sindh and one in Balochistan.

On January 20, Imran Khan’s PTI also called for protests on the anniversary of the elections, with Khan directing PTI’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to lead caravans from across the province for a public gathering in Peshawar.

PTI has also sought permission to hold a rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan, though the local administration has yet to grant approval.

The national elections, held on February 8 last year, were marred by a nationwide cellphone network shutdown and delayed results.

Opposition parties, including JI and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have alleged widespread election manipulation. However, the caretaker government and the ECP have denied the charges, explaining that the mobile network shutdown was a measure to maintain law and order.

Several international bodies, including the US House of Representatives and European countries, have urged Pakistan to investigate the election irregularities. However, Islamabad has rejected calls for a formal inquiry.

Khan’s PTI candidates, barred from contesting the February 8 elections as the party, ran as independents and won the most seats. However, they fell short of the majority required to form a government, which was instead established by a coalition of rival political parties.