Authorities on Saturday imposed prohibitory orders here in Pakistan’s capital as jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party began nationwide protests against alleged rigging and stealing of its mandate in the recent elections.

Criticising the outcome of the polls, which saw the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates emerging as the largest group by winning over 90 National Assembly seats, the PTI announced countrywide “peaceful protests” against what it termed “record-high rigging”. The party has decided to sit in the Opposition in the parliament.

The protests began with a march in Wana, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“The PTI has called for countrywide protests against the unprecedented, massive, brazen rigging in general elections 2024, where PTI’s win of 180 National Assembly seats and a two-thirds majority in the parliament, was cut down to half,” the party said in a statement.

“The 2024 elections would be remembered in the country’s history due to the scale of rigging,” PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said. The Islamabad police have said that Section 144 is in force in the city and the security is on “high alert”, the Dawn reported.

Without directly referring to protests, it said that there could be increased traffic near the Fatima Jinnah Park in Islamabad and urged the public to avoid “unnecessary travel” on the nearby routes.

The police said that special forces of the Counter Terrorism Department had been deployed on patrol to deal with any emergency.

“Patrolling has been increased across the district while checking has been tightened at checkpoints,” it added.

The police in Islamabad dug up a ditch near the Lahore Press Club to stop the PTI protest. A heavy contingent of police personnel was deployed there to thwart the PTI protest.

Meanwhile, the Punjab police clamped down on PTI leaders and workers in Lahore who were protesting against “massive rigging” in the elections.

They arrested Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja and scores of PTI women actiovists who had gathered on Jail Road in response to Imran Khan’s call for protests.

A heavy contingent of police personnel gathered outside the PTI office on Jail Road and baton-charged the party workers protesting against the rigging. TV footage showed the police officers manhandling the PTI women workers and bundling them into police vans. Khan’s counsel Salman Akram Raja was also arrested.

The PTI is not the only party that has voiced its concerns over the February 8 polls. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Grand Democratic Alliance, and others have also complained of rigging.