Police cracked down on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers in Lahore as the party geared up for a protest agains rigging in the by elections across the city.

Police raided the offices and houses of provincial ticket holders Malik Hammad Awan, Hafiz Zeeshan and Yasir Gilani.

Party leaders said that the raids were an attempt to squash the protest, scheduled to begin after Jumma prayers, before it even began.

Meanwhile, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz told reporters in Islamabad that the party was ready to talk to ‘anyone’ for the sake of the country.

However, he added that any talks with government or establishment are conditional upon a conducive atmosphere being created first.

Faraz said that political prisoners should be released immediately and political cases should be scrapped.

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He also demanded that a judicial commission be set up to investigate the treatment meted out to the PTI.

Faraz said that Imran Khan will not be leaving the country under any circumstances. He also added that the PTI will issue a white paper against rigging in the elections soon.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court denied PTI permission to hold a public rally in Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah.

The court had taken up the matter afer permission for the rally was refused by the district administarion.

In its response, the administration told the court that there was a threat of terrorism in the city due to which large public gatherings cannot be allowed.

Authorities told the SHC that permission for a rally cannot be given for the next four weeks.

PTI had initially planned a rally in Karachi on April 28.

The case has now been adjourned till May 6.