PHOTO: TARIQ HASSAN/EXPRESS
LAHORE: After a massive crackdown against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, the Punjab government has devised a new strategy to stop convoys leaving for Islamabad to participate in PTI’s sit-in on November 2.
The authorities will thoroughly check all vehicles of PTI workers leaving for the capital and if they had any doubt that these workers might create law and order situation, they will not be allowed to leave, officials told The Express Tribune on Friday.
“So far, PML-N and Punjab governments gave a free hand to PTI to hold sit-ins and protests. But this time this is not going to happen,” a senior Punjab government official told The Express Tribune. “No one will be allowed to lockdown the capital and those who try to do so will be taken to task.”
He said the provincial leadership of PTI, including PTI Lahore president Waleed Iqbal and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed, have not been arrested. “But anybody resorting to violence will be arrested,” he added.
A number of PML-N leaders and ministers said the PTI would not be allowed to hijack Islamabad. However, none of them agreed to give a statement whether convoys from Punjab will be allowed to go to Islamabad or not.
Industries Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique said the government had devised a plan to deal with the protesters and those who want to block Islamabad. But he did not give a policy statement whether or not PTI convoys from Punjab will be allowed to reach Islamabad.
On the other hand, PTI leaders said their workers were being harassed and arrested. They said police raided the houses of their workers at night to stop them from attending November 2 sit-in in Islamabad. “My house was raided at night but I was not at home. My family was harassed by police,” Asif Sohail Khokhar, a UC Chairperson from PTI Lahore, said.
While speaking to reporters, Punjab government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri said it was the responsibility of the government to stop those who instigate citizens to resort to violence and disturb law and order.
He said some people were planning to lockdown Islamabad but the government will not allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said PTI would not be allowed to paralyse Islamabad and all necessary measures would be taken in this regard.
LHC full bench
The Lahore High Court chief justice has referred two identical petitions challenging the possible arrests of PTI and PAT workers to a full bench.
PTI Lahore chapter president Walid Iqbal and PAT leader Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry filed the petitions, alleging police had launched a crackdown against PTI and PAT workers ahead of the November 2 sit-in in Islamabad.
They said raids were being conducted on residences of their workers. They requested the court to retrain the government and police from harassing and taking extreme measures against the workers.
A law officer told the chief justice that a full bench was already hearing a case against November 2 protest of the PTI. Therefore, he said, these petitions should be referred to the same bench.
The chief justice directed the registrar to fix the petitions for further hearing before the full bench.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2016.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ