‘Black Day’ demonstrations were widespread in Pakistan
Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 11, 2025
Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held a protest rally in Auckland on Sunday (February 9, 2025) expressing their solidarity towards the ousted and imprisoned Leader.
Organised by the New Zealand Core Committee of the Pakistan Tehrik E Insaf (PTI) Party, the rally condemned the alleged human rights violations in Pakistan and the illegal incarceration of former Prime Minister and PTI Leader Imran Khan.
The rally, led by Dr Asif Saeed, Kamran Khan, Tauqeer Khan, Faisal bhai, Sabina Rehman, Zohaib Bangash, Tayyib Kahloon, Mushtaq, Dr Shuaib and Adnan Mirza, demanded the revival of democracy and a free and fair democratic election.
The Programme, moderated by Dr Saeed, included speeches by the senior and younger members of the Pakistani community in Auckland.
Among them were Akhlaq Mohammed, Haider Lone, Keith Henderson, Laraib Faisal, Liaqat Varraich, Dr Mohammed Shuaib, Dr Sabina Rehman, Tauqeer Khan, Dr Tayyib Kahloon, Dr Yousuf Qureshi and Zohaib Bangash.
The speakers expressed their disappointment saying, “An undemocratic government in Pakistan has come into power by rigging elections on 8th February 2024 and keeping the most popular leader of the country Imran Khan in jail on frivolous charges and demanded a restoration of democracy through free and fair elections. The election was an unfair snatch of the mandate of Mr Khan’s Party by the so-called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM),” they said.
(Photo Supplied by Adnan Mirza)
Personal Vendetta alleged
Dr Qureshi alleged that the Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir was giving vent to his personal vendetta which has no place in politics.
“Everyone in Pakistan knows about the Army Chief because they are involved in politics. In a truly democratic country, ordinary people do not know much about military personnel. We hope that Mr Khan will be released with help from diplomatic, democratic and political sources and supporters, reorganise the PTI and lead Pakistan,” he said.
His views were echoed by other speakers.
-With Reporting by Dr Yousuf Qureshi and Adnan Mirza
(Photo Supplied by Adnan Mirza)
The Islamabad Massacre
The meeting concluded with a three-minute silence as a mark of respect for the people who died during unrest in Islamabad on November 26, 2024.
Ironically known as Democracy Chowk (or D-Chowk), the scene is now known as the D Chowk Massacre.
According to the PTI website, the Islamabad Massacre marked one of the darkest chapters in Pakistan’s history, where security forces unleashed direct gunfire on unarmed, peaceful protesters.
“Twelve civilians were confirmed dead, with hundreds missing and feared dead as the government refused to release the bodies and confiscated all hospital records. On November 26 and 27, 2024, reports surfaced of live gunfire by Pakistani security forces targeting PTI protesters. Eyewitnesses described snipers initiating intermittent firing from 2 pm onwards, culminating in a final brutal assault under the cover of darkness late on November 26. The government labelled this as a ‘grand operation’ against PTI protests, but the violence continued throughout the night. Rangers were seen destroying vehicles belonging to protesters. The main leadership container was also set on fire,” it said.
Demonstrations in Pakistan
Reports from Pakistan said that opposition parties, including the PTI Party of imprisoned Leader Imran Khan, staged demonstrations on February 8, 2025 to mark the first anniversary of the country’s general elections, which triggered widespread allegations of vote-rigging.
Other parties participating in the February 8 demonstrations included the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), PTI and Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi).
The opposition parties demanded that new elections be held, which the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), in coalition government, have rejected.
PTI and other parties allege that the Pakistani military rigged last year’s elections in favour of the ruling PML-N. The military, the Pakistan Election Commission and the PML-N have denied the allegations.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has also rejected the request to void the election, which prompted the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Union to voice concerns about the way the vote was conducted and to urge an investigation.
Support in Northwest
Ali Amin Gandapur, a key Khan ally and Chief Minister of the Northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, repeated the allegations of widespread fraud in a video address to Party workers ahead of the so-called ‘Black Day’ demonstrations on February 8.
Caravans of demonstrators from across the province travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district, where thousands gathered to call for Khan’s release.
Ahead of the demonstrations, the Federal Government in Islamabad and provincial authorities in Balochistan and Punjab enacted measures to restrict public gatherings, citing security concerns.
