Lawyer Salman Akram Raja has resigned as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general, sources said on Thursday amid the former ruling party’s poor show rally show in Lahore.

He was tasked with leading the party’s efforts in Islamabad, but due to road closures, he devised a plan for a protest in Lahore instead.

But Raja faced challenges in mobilising PTI workers in Punjab’s capital, failing to rally significant support. The lacklustre display apparently raised concerns within the party about its organisational effectiveness and ability to engage its base.

This comes after former prime minister Imran Khan’s party called off its protest sit-in for the third time on Wednesday.

Protesters who marched from different cities to Islamabad for Khan’s release failed to meet their goal when the authorities launched a crackdown on the PTI in the wee hours of Wednesday.

At least six people, including a police officer and three Rangers officials, lost their lives during three days of protests, as reported by officials and hospital sources.

Late on the third day, PTI leaders, including Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, urged protesters to “go home, have dinner, and return tomorrow.” This retreat from the protest site marked a significant shift in strategy for the party.

In addition to the fatalities, there were widespread arrests as security forces worked to clear protesters from Jinnah Avenue and the Blue Area. However, the exact number of those detained remains unclear.

To maintain order, police switched off street lights along Jinnah Avenue and in surrounding sectors, deploying a heavy presence on both sides of the road. As law enforcement regained control, many dispersed protesters moved towards Faisal Avenue and nearby areas, where authorities had placed containers to block access, which had previously been cleared by demonstrators.