In action: Police crack down on AML leaders

Sheikh Rashid vows to hold public rally today

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: In a late night crackdown, scores of Sheikh Rashid’s Awami Muslim League workers, including his close relatives, were rounded up by police at Lal Havali.

Police raided the venue of the AML rally outside Lal Havali, the residence of Sheikh Rashid and arrested several workers of his party who were setting up stage for the public meeting to be held on Friday (today).

“Some 17 workers of Lal Havali, including my two nephews, have been arrested. Announcements are being made to vacate the venue by police. They want to seal Lal Havali,” Rashid told The Express Tribune by telephone.



Meanwhile, Rawalpindi police sealed all the roads and streets leading to Lal Haveli late Thursday night. Containers have been placed in front of Lal Haveli and roads leading to it. Moreover, access to narrow streets adjoining Lal Haveli has been restricted by placing barbed wires.

However, Rashid vowed to continue with his announced rally, defying Section 144 imposed by the provincial government.

“Rana Sanaullah has ordered my arrest. The government will be responsible if things deteriorate. We will hold our rally come what may,” he said.

The district coordination officer imposed Section 144 earlier on Friday for the next two days in what was considered an attempt to stop the public rally announced by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed at his residence.

PTI chairman Imran Khan is also scheduled to address Rashid’s rally. The crackdown launched on the PTI’s workers convention in Islamabad prompted several small protests in different areas of Rawalpindi. Protestors blocked several roads and burned tyres.

Raids at the residences of prominent local leaders of these parties continued till the filing of this report.

Two brothers of the PTI’s MPA Ijaz Khan and a local office-bearer of the AML were arrested during initial raids carried out on Wednesday night. There were unconfirmed reports that police have taken some 150 leaders and workers of the PTI and the AML into custody so far.

Top bosses of the Rawalpindi police have been facing a shortage of force to tackle possible clashes with the PTI, AML and PAT workers on November 2, sources informed The Express Tribune. The city police officer requested higher authorities to provide 2,000 personnel to maintain law and order in the city.

Police carried out raids at the houses of PTI and AML workers and arrested Imtiaz Khan and Iqbal Khan, the brothers of PTI MPA Ijaz Khan, and Chaudhry Azhar, the general secretary of Jamiat-Ahl-e-Quraish and office-bearer of the AML earlier in the day.

Many leaders of opposition parties have gone underground to avoid arrest, police sources said.

A senior police officer, seeking anonymity, said police following the instructions of the government would seal the whole city to stop the gathering of PTI, AML and PAT workers and leaders from locking down the federal capital on November 2.

“SHOs of Kotli, Kalar Syedan, Kahuta and Murree police stations were directed to report in Pindi along with their force,” he said.

Meanwhile, following the orders of City Police Officer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, police conducted a flag march in the city, which was supervised by SSP (operations) Irfan Tariq.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2016.